The White House disclosed, in a statement on Friday, that the US President, Donald Trump, made a phone call with the commander of the Dignity Operation, General Khalifa Haftar, on Monday.
The White House stated that Trump talked to Haftar about fighting terrorism and imposing peace and stability in Libya.
Observers raised a question about the reason for revealing the phone call between Trump and Haftar on Friday while the phone call was made on Monday.
They related the revelation to the attitude of the US in the Security Council on Thursday.
The US joined Russia in refusing issuing a resolution to stop Haftar’s assault on Tripoli, which was strange for many observers because the US Foreign Minister assured more than once that his country recognises the Presidential Council (PC) in Tripoli and condemns Haftar’s attacks.
From his side, the head of the PC of the Government of National Accord (GNA), Fayez Al-Sarraj, had expressed his concern about the stalemate in the Security Council.
Al-Sarraj stressed the need to hold Haftar’s forces accountable for the brutal attacks on Tripoli. He warned that this would open the doors for Daesh to carry out terrorist operations and complicate the situation.
Al-Sarraj had also issued an arrest warrant against Haftar for the savagery of his forces in shelling and bombarding residential areas in Tripoli and killing and wounding tens of civilians as well as destroying houses.
The activist, Mohamed Buisier, commented on the US attitude by saying that the US hadn’t called for changing the text of the draft and hadn’t explained the reasons for its attitude.
Buisier stated on his Facebook account that maybe the Americans want to see what might happen on the ground, then the decision should come after the results.
He added that the situation on the ground is not in the favour of the coupists (referring to Haftar’s forces) because they are losing their positions around the city of Gherian in the western mountain.
From his side, the journalist, Mohamed Rabie, said on his Facebook account that the difference between Al-Sarraj and Haftar is that Al-Sarraj in Tripoli is the president of Libya, which means that he is an employee for the Libyan state.
He added that Al-Sarraj is doing his job as president and the Libyans do not glorify him or raise his picture because after he finishes his time in the office, he will go back to his house to live as a normal Libyan citizen.
About Haftar, Rabie said that he bombards Tripoli with Grad rockets regardless of the civilian victims. He added that Haftar, who was arrested in his war in Chad during the 1980s, wants to rule Libya from Tripoli, militarily, to become a new dictator.
On Friday, the head of the State Council, Khaled El-Meshri, called some of the ambassadors and envoys of other countries to Libya as well as the International Community and the Arab states to take a clear position towards what is going on in Libya.
El-Meshri accused the United Arab Emirates (UAE) of spoiling the efforts to establish democracy in Libya through supporting Haftar militarily. He pointed out that the GNA’s forces had gained a UAE military vehicle and Egyptian ammunitions.
In another context, the United Nations envoy to Libya, Ghassan Salame, said, on Friday, that the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) considers the GNA as the only legitimate side in Libya. He added that the UNSMIL cooperates with the GNA daily.
Salame clarified that his remarks on Thursday to the Security Council were verbal and short. He said that he focused on the seriousness of the humanitarian situation in Libya, calling the Council to take a quick decision to stop the war.
On another side, the Interior Minister of the GNA, Fathi Bashagha, called his ministry to stop cooperating with France who supports Haftar in his attack on Tripoli.
Bashagha stressed that the procedure should include freezing the security training programmes and any other agreements because of the attitude of France that supports the war criminal, Haftar.
Responding to Bashagha’s call, the French Foreign Minister, Jean-Yves Le Drian, expressed his country’s concern about the current situation in Libya.
Le Drian stressed, in a phone call with Salame, the necessity of ceasefire and resuming the dialogue without delay. He pointed out that France would continue its efforts with its European partners and the Libyans as well as the Libyan neighbouring countries to come to a compromise to end the disputes in Libya.
Moreover, the French embassy to Libya said that France stresses its support to the GNA as the only UN-backed government in Libya.
Observers said that the stalemate and the division between the member states in the Security Council on the situation of Libya display that the International Community doesn’t care about the brutal crimes of Haftar against the civilians in Tripoli.
They added that the case would give Haftar a chance to carry out his crimes and spoil the expected political solution in Libya.
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LIBYA PROSPECT
