France has asked Marshal Khalifa Haftar, the strongman of eastern Libya, to “refrain from any resumption of hostilities” and to “focus” on the search for a political solution. France, which has been heavily involved in the search for a political solution in Libya in recent years, is regularly listed among the supporters of Marshal Haftar. The call comes after Haftar and Turkey traded warnings over the past weekend threatening to sap the UN-led peace efforts to end the infighting and political divisions in the oil-rich country. During his visit, Hulusi Akar said Turkey’s forces in Libya will retaliate against any attack by rebel general Khalifa Haftar. Turkey is the main foreign backer of Libya’s internationally recognized GNA based in Tripoli, which for years has been fighting Haftar’s LNA.

Source: The North Africa Journal December 30, 2020 15:00 UTC