26 September 2019

Libya under the spotlight at the UN General Assembly amid renewed military clashes on the ground

On 22 September, clashes between General Khalifa Haftar’s forces and the Government of National Accord’s (GNA) army resumed in southern areas of Tripoli. The GNA’s Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj reacted from the UN General Assembly, in New York, accusing foreign forces of helping Haftar. On 25 September, in a speech in front of world leaders, Al-Sarraj accused France, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt of encouraging Haftar’s war over Tripoli and added that “we condemn the three countries’ support to Haftar, which constitutes a flagrant violation of Security Council resolutions”. On 27 September, Haftar declared that he is open to dialogue but stressed that “the democratic process […] will remain in conflict with the opposition of terrorist groups and armed criminal militias controlling the security and economic decisions in Tripoli”. Over the last week, two direct foreign interventions were reported: on 26 September, some media informed on UAE drone attacks over Tripoli’s Mitiga International Airport; and on 25 September, US forces reportedly targeted suspected ISIS’ militants in southern Libya. The dramatic security situation in Libya was at the centre of the African Union-European Union-United Nations Tripartite Taskforce on the Situation of Migrants and Refugees in Libya, which met in New York on 26 September.

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