Militias marching on Tripoli : General Haftar heats up to power struggle in Libya

A long convoy of all-terrain vehicles in camouflage colours with mounted machine guns and anti-aircraft guns rolled through the Libyan desert in the direction of the West: A Video of the so-called Libyan National army (LNA) of General Khalifa Haftar demonstrates a move that could plunge Libya once again into Chaos.

Haftar, which dominates the East of the anarchy sunken country, the capital city of Tripoli in the West to take the seat of the internationally recognized government. The Offensive caught the United Nations off on the wrong foot: the UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, was surprised by Haftars attack in Tripoli, where he wanted to prepare a peace conference. A battle for Tripoli, could not only make the efforts to find a political solution to nothing, but also a new wave of refugees from Libya over the Mediterranean sea to southern Europe trigger.

emergency meeting of the UN security Council

Germany has because of the threat of escalation of an emergency meeting of the UN security Council convened. "It may be in Libya, no military solution," said government spokesman Steffen Seibert on Friday in Berlin. The meeting will be held according to the foreign office on this Friday from 20.30 German time in New York. Germany had taken over on Monday for a month the presidency of the UN security Council.

Since the fall of Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi eight years ago, the various militias and Rebels fighting in the oil-rich country. Also international players with a mix – and intensify the opposites. Haftar, a former officer in Gaddafi's army, after Victories over the Islamist groups to the strong man in Eastern Libya, receives support from Egypt, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Russia; Moscow media maintains reports of parallel contacts to a son of Gaddafi.

Turkey and Qatar is said to provide Islamist groups with weapons. In particular, the Libyan branch of the Muslim brotherhood benefits after the observation of experts of this help. Haftar is an avowed arch enemy of the Muslim brotherhood.

Video 05.04.2019, 11:05 Uhr00:56 Min.Libya: the rise of militia apparently

In the past few years, was nevertheless a coexistence of Haftar in the East, and the internationally recognized government in the West, which caused a certain calming of the situation. But Haftars set of struts makes this tacit Agreement. Since the beginning of the year LNA has brought the oil-rich South under their control – that's where Haftar has been able to benefit as a guarantor of the stability of the weakness of the government and local groups to his side.

Haftar's obviously strong enough

Now he feels strong enough for the attack on the capital. "The time (for the attack) came from," said Haftar, the LNA, according to an audio message to his fighters. In the meantime, Haftars are around 30 kilometres of troops to the South of Tripoli, but should be first of all been stopped, as it is called from the security circles of the capital.

The government does not have its own armed forces, but must rely on multiple militias. Some of the groups that have joined in the "protection force for Tripoli," together, willing to face Haftar – a new military escalation, and a new civil war threatens. Important allies Haftars such as the UAE and Russia were joined by the demands of the UN and the West for military restraint. Whether the General is impressed by it, is not safe.

, General Khalifa Haftar ordered the March on Tripoli.Photo: Abdullah Doma/AFP

in the face of Haftars recent military Successes, the compromise could be limited in standby, wrote a Libya expert Wolfram Lacher of the Foundation for science and politics in a recent analysis. Experts predict the loss of rich struggles to Tripoli, if Haftar should the attack really. Even if his fighters should invade at the end in the capital, it is not necessarily the end of the conflict. Haftar is 75 years old; his LNA could break apart without him at the helm.

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General Haftar wants to take Tripoli, rise of militias in Libya stopped

Just a political agreement between the rival factions could allow for peace, argue the UN. Only a few weeks, Haftar and Prime Minister of the Tripoli government, Fayez al Serraj had met in Abu Dhabi to talk about a solution. According to the previous plans, the UN's Libya envoy, Ghassan Salame, in mid-April a "national conference is to be held" in the Oasenort Ghadames on the border with Tunisia.
In Ghadames want to set the Salame, the parties to the conflict after several failed attempts, finally, to a timetable for Parliament and presidential elections to give the country for the first time since 2011, a United government. However, whether or not the conference can actually bring solutions and if it will actually come about is open to question. Haftar seems to have other plans.