Libya militias say ready to join dialogue

Libya militias say ready to join dialogue The militias have been controlling Tripoli since 2014
Foreign policy
February 23, 2015 03:04
Libya militias say ready to join dialogue

Baku. 23 February. REPORT.AZ/ Militias backed by Libya's General National Congress (parliament), which convenes in capital Tripoli, said on Sunday that they were ready to participate in national reconciliation talks now being held among the country's warring factions.

"Any reconciliation attempts must be based on the principles of the February 17 revolution to obstruct infiltrators," the Dawn of Libya militias said Sunday, referring to the bloody uprising that ended the rule of longstanding leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.

The militias, which have been controlling Tripoli since 2014, lauded efforts made by a western Libya council of tribal dignitaries to hammer out a truce among warring groups in the western cities of Zintan and Misurata.

The Dawn of Libya also accused army commander Khalifa Haftar, who is backed by the Torbuk-based parliament and government, of opening the door for "foreign intervention" in Libya.

They said Haftar, who leads the Libya Dignity campaign against the militias, obstructed dialogue and aligned himself with former regime supporters.

Last week, Egypt, which supports the rival Tobruk-based government, launched a set of airstrikes on sites suspected to belong to the militant organization Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant in the eastern city of Darnah.

The airstrikes came a few hours after a video emerged to show the execution of 20 Egyptian nationals by the militant group in Libya.

Libya has been suffering turmoil since a bloody uprising brought the rule of longstanding leader Muammar Gaddafi to an end in 2011.

The oil-rich country now has two functioning parliaments, two governments and two armies.

TRIPOLI (AA) – Militias backed by Libya's General National Congress (parliament), which convenes in capital Tripoli, said on Sunday that they were ready to participate in national reconciliation talks now being held among the country's warring factions.

"Any reconciliation attempts must be based on the principles of the February 17 revolution to obstruct infiltrators," the Dawn of Libya militias said Sunday, referring to the bloody uprising that ended the rule of longstanding leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.

The militias, which have been controlling Tripoli since 2014, lauded efforts made by a western Libya council of tribal dignitaries to hammer out a truce among warring groups in the western cities of Zintan and Misurata.

The Dawn of Libya also accused army commander Khalifa Haftar, who is backed by the Torbuk-based parliament and government, of opening the door for "foreign intervention" in Libya.

They said Haftar, who leads the Libya Dignity campaign against the militias, obstructed dialogue and aligned himself with former regime supporters.

Last week, Egypt, which supports the rival Tobruk-based government, launched a set of airstrikes on sites suspected to belong to the militant organization Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant in the eastern city of Darnah.

The airstrikes came a few hours after a video emerged to show the execution of 20 Egyptian nationals by the militant group in Libya.

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