EU foreign policy chief calls for truce in Libya

By Yusuf Hatip

BRUSSELS (AA) – European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini called Wednesday for a halt to the fighting in Libya and a return to UN-backed policies.

“Libya can count on EU unity in support of an immediate stop of fighting, humanitarian truce and return to @UN led political process, in interest of all Libyans,” the European External Action Service, the EU’s Foreign and Security Policy Service led by Mogherini, said on Twitter.

Mogherini spoke earlier over the phone with Fayez al-Sarraj, chairman of the Presidential Council and prime minister of the UN-backed Government of National Accord.

Forces led by Commander Khalifa Haftar claimed Wednesday to have captured the Yarmuk military camp south of the capital, Tripoli, from the UN-backed government.

They said in a statement they are advancing towards Tripoli’s center.

Since last week, the fighters have carried out an attack to seize the capital from the UN-backed government.

The Yarmuk military camp is in the Ain Zara area, which had been witnessing clashes between Haftar’s forces and government forces.

The UN-backed government has not yet issued a statement on the claims.

Libya has remained beset by turmoil since 2011, when a bloody NATO-backed uprising led to the ouster and death of President Muammar Gaddafi after four decades in power.

Since then, the country’s stark political divisions have yielded two rival seats of power: one in eastern Libya, with which strongman Khalifa Haftar is associated, and another in Tripoli, which enjoys UN support.

*Writing by Erdogan Cagatay Zontu