After meetings with Parliament Speaker Aguila Saleh on Saturday, leaders of Barqa tribes issued a statement in support of the Libyan National Army (LNA) operations against “terrorism.”
The meeting focused on the military operation carried out by the LNA to “liberate Tripoli from terrorism,” according to Saleh’s advisor Fathi al-Marimi .
Shortly after the meeting, Barqa elders announced their support to the LNA.
The statement said the LNA is “not just Commander Khalefa Haftar, but all Libyans from different tribes and factions.”
The elders of Barqa tribes called on the Security Council to urge foreign countries and governments not to interfere in Libya’s affairs and to lift the ban on arming the LNA.
On April 25, head of the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) Ghassan Salame described the ongoing conflict in Libya as “selfish and useless,” urging the international community to intervene to stop the escalations.
“We encourage Italy and all UN member states to push for ceasefire and return to dialogue. We need collective efforts to end this selfish and useless conflict. Should the situation deteriorate significantly, they will bear the consequences, in addition to the Libyan people and much broader sectors and interests,” Salame said in an interview with Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera.
More than 254 people have died during the Libyan fighting during the past two weeks, when Libyan National Army commander Khalifa Haftar decided to start a military operation in Tripoli against the UN-backed government lead by Faiez al-Sarraj.
Thousands of civilians have been forced to flee their homes, according to the World Health Organization, and the National Libyan Forum, which was anticipated on April 14, was delayed until further notice.
