On April 27, 2020 the head of the eastern-based Libyan National Army Field Khalifa HAFTAR said he has a “mandate from the people” to govern the country and announced a UN roadmap to form a unity government was “a thing of the past“.

In a speech on Libya al-HADATH TV channel, he said his self-styled Libyan “army” was “proud to be mandated with the historic task” of leading Libya.

He said referring to a 2015 UN-mediated deal that produced the unity government: “We announce our acceptance of the people’s will and mandate and the end of the Skhirat Agreement“.

The agreement was signed in 2015 in Morocco. As part of the agreement, the UN-recognized Government of National Accord (GNA) was formed to manage the transition process in Libya.

HAFTAR and his political allies tried to prevent this agreement from entering into force with his initiatives in the field.

It’s not clear whether an elected parliament in the country’s east, a signatory to the deal, backed his move – or what its future role would be.

HAFTAR has so far drawn his legitimacy from the administration based in the country’s east, and last April his forces launched an assault to seize the capital Tripoli, in the west, from the Government of National Accord.

Mohammed Ali ABDALLAH (National Front Party) said “HAFTAR has once more exposed his authoritarian intentions to the world“.

“He no longer seeks to conceal his contempt for a political solution and democracy in Libya. His statement tonight is the final, desperate act of a defeated man.”

HAFTAR had already said in 2017 that the Skhirat Agreement deal had “expired“.

He said his forces would work “to put in place the necessary conditions to build the permanent institutions of a civil state“.

Dmitry PESKOV, Kremlin spokesman said “In Moscow, we remain convinced that the only possible resolution in Libya can be through political and diplomatic communication between all parties, above all those in conflict“.

“Russia remains in contact with all participants in the Libyan process. We believe that there are no other ways to resolve the Libyan problem.”

Russia is a key backer of Field Marshal HAFTAR.

Peter STANO, the European Commission spokesman, on Tuesday, said the December 2015 agreement “remains the viable framework for a political solution in Libya, until amendments are found, or replacements are found” agreed by all parties. He also called on all international actors in Libya to “increase their pressure” on the warring parties to help end the fighting and bring about a political settlement.

“Any attempt to push forward unilateral solutions, even more so by force, will never provide a sustainable solution for the country, and such attempts cannot be accepted.” Peter STANO said.

This article was edited using the data from the thenational.ae, france24.com, aa.com.tr, and news24.com.

Source of the photo: www.thenational.ae.