Paris calls on Haftar to "abstain" from any military action

Libya is a failed state, a victim of chaos and civil war, since in 2011 NATO contributed militarily to the victory of the heterogeneous rebel groups over Muammar al-Qadhafi's dictatorship.

It is also currently one of the scenarios of the war for control of the eastern Mediterranean being waged by Turkey and Italy, among others, which support the NAG, and Russia and Egypt, pillars of Haftar, in addition to Israel, France, Greece, Syria, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

Although the special mission for Libya (UNSMIL) has been led on an interim basis over the past months, the UN has made some progress in the Libyan peace process under Stephanie Williams. But the current UN-led peace process offers many uncertainties as it lacks the full backing of the two rival governments in conflict and the support of Russia and Turkey, the two most influential powers, which are holding a dialogue in parallel outside the UN.

France, which has been heavily involved in the search for a political solution in Libya in recent years, is regularly suspected of supporting Marshal Haftar.

On Monday, the French state asked Marshal Khalifa Haftar, the strongman of eastern Libya, to "refrain from any resumption of hostilities" and to "focus" on the search for a political solution, according to the AFP agency.

After the Turkish military intervention in January and the failure of the offensive launched by Marshal Haftar in Tripoli, the cards have been partly reorganised in the conflict in Libya.

The talks between Libyans also ended with an agreement on the national elections of December 2021, but not on the heads of the executive branch that were supposed to accompany the transition.

"There is no military solution in Libya. The priority is to implement the ceasefire agreement of 23 October 2020, which provides for the departure of foreign forces and mercenaries, and to continue the political process under the authority of the United Nations," said a deputy spokesman for the French Foreign Ministry. 

"We call on all Libyan parties to support this process, to refrain from any resumption of hostilities and to focus on the appointment of a new executive and the organisation of the elections scheduled for 24 December 2021, as decided by the Libyan Political Forum, under the auspices of the United Nations," he added. 

On Thursday, Marshal Haftar asked his forces to take up arms again in order to "expel the occupant" of Turkey at a time when talks are being held to get out of the current crisis of stagnation in which they find themselves. 

"We must remember today that there will be no peace in the presence of a settler in our land", said Marshal Khalifa Haftar in reference to Ankara, whose parliament passed a motion extending for 18 months the authorisation to deploy troops in Libya.  

"Therefore, we will again take up arms to shape our peace with our own hands (...) and, since Turkey rejects peace and opts for war, prepare to expel the occupant by faith, will and arms", he said in a speech on the 69th anniversary of the country's independence.   

"Officers and soldiers, get ready! " he hammered in front of hundreds of soldiers who were standing in the courtyard of a barracks in Benghazi (East).  

Turkey has kept troops in Libya since January to support the National Accord Government supported by the UN in Tripoli (GNA), which is harassed by the militias of Marshal Khalifa Haftar, who controls part of the country. 

Turkish Defence Minister Hulusi Akar warned General Khalifa Haftar that any attack against Turkish troops in the African country would lead to a military response, the Turkish Ministry of Defence reported on Sunday.  

"This war criminal and murderer Haftar and those who support him must know that if any attack is carried out against the Turkish forces we consider Haftar's forces as a legitimate target anywhere. They will have nowhere to run," warned Akar during a visit to Libya that started this day before.  

He described Haftar, who is supported by Russia, Saudi Arabia, Emirates and Egypt, as "a striker, a pawn of foreign forces and a toy of others" and said that "not everybody who buys a uniform can be a marshal", referring to Haftar's military rank.