Libya’s internationally recognized Prime Minister of the Government of National Accord (GNA) Faiez al-Sarraj stressed he would not accept a ceasefire before the withdrawal of the Libyan National Army (LNA) from Tripoli.
“We have made clear our position to all internal and external parties that any talk of a ceasefire must be linked to the withdrawal of the aggressor force and its return from where it came from, without which any talk becomes absurd,” Sarraj said Thursday.
Further, the return to the political process would not be as it once was.
“The situation before April 4 (the launch date of the LNA’s attack on Tripoli) is quite different from the situation after that date,” he added.
“There are officials in the GNA who are hesitant to announce their support for the government in Tripoli, particularly in its battles against the LNA, and the government will deal with them in a timely manner,” Sarraj threatened.
The LNAlaunched a military operation in early April to take over Tripoli from Sarraj’s government.
The fighting so far has killed over 370 people and displaced over 42,000 others, according to the World Health Organization.
Libya has been struggling to make a democratic transition amid insecurity and chaos ever since the fall of former leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.
