Retired Libyan General Khalifa Haftar yesterday said that the militias under his control will not be subject to any authority.
Referencing the Libya National Army (LNA), Haftar said that “despite the intrigues and conspiracies being hatched against the LNA,” his forces remained and will always remain steadfast and will not be shaken, and “no matter how experienced the schemers are in evading, circumventing and deceiving in the name of a civilian state or otherwise, the army will not be under any authority.”
In a televised speech delivered during a ceremony at the Benina base in Benghazi on the occasion of the 81st anniversary of the founding of the Libyan army, Haftar added: “The army … did not surrender to terrorists. Without the army and its positions, Libya would not have a unified state until this day.”
Adding that they are extending their hands with “all courage and self-confidence towards a just peace that serves the country’s interest and for the sake of future generations.”
“Without the army’s victory over terrorism, the majority of Libyans would not have enjoyed freedom and safety, and no government would have been able to establish and carry out its work except,” he continued.
Military commander Khalifa Haftar and his militia are still in control of the east, nearly a year after the collapse of his 14-month offensive to seize the capital.
In Tripoli, the armed groups that repelled Haftar’s attack still control the streets.
For years, Libya has been witnessing an armed conflict, as Haftar’s militias contested the internationally-recognised government for legitimacy and authority in the oil-rich country.
On 16 March, an elected transitional authority, comprising a unity government and a Presidential Council, assumed its duties to lead the country to elections by the end of the year.
