In an interview with France 24, the Minister of Defense of the Government of National Accord, Salaheddine Al-Namroush, said statements that contradict the recent political tracks, as he accused the Libyan National Army forces, led by Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, of violating the ceasefire agreed upon by the two camps in October, adding that while the “GNA” forces were respecting the agreement, “Haftar”, with the support of mercenaries, launched attacks in the south of the country.
Al-Namroush affirmed the GNA’s readiness to withdraw from the military committee set up by the United Nations to monitor the ceasefire if these violations continued, expressing his serious doubts about the possibility of holding elections in December of next year, as was recently agreed upon by the Libyan National Dialogue Forum under the auspices of the United Nations.
The Minister of Defense categorically ruled out the possibility that “Haftar” would keep a role in a future political agreement, describing him as a “war criminal who should be in prison”, and warning that if the ceasefire agreement collapsed, the GNA is ready to wage a military battle against “Haftar.”
Al-Namroush described the French support for Haftar as a “shame,” expressing his hope that this would change, while he ignored, during the interview, France’s criticism of Turkey’s role in Libya, under the pretext that the strategic partnership between the “GNA” and Ankara is clear and overt, while the arrangements between “Haftar” and his foreign backers are made in secret.
The minister emphasized that the “GNA” is ready to enter into talks with the other side in order to reach a political solution, provided that Haftar is permanently marginalized.
