Libya: Shaking The Land

LIBYA

Shaking the Land

The Libyan military commander vying to unseat the United Nations-backed government has ordered his Libya National Army to march on Tripoli, raising fears of an escalation of fighting in the North African country that has been in turmoil since the killing of former leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.

Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, whose Libya National Army controls the eastern two-thirds of the country, said his troops’ “victorious march” on Tripoli would “shake the lands under the feet of the unjust bunch,” the UK’s Guardian newspaper reported.

He also ordered troops not to fire on civilians, saying, “Whoever raises the white banner is safe.”

With the backing of Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and France, Haftar has seized territory across the southern part of the country in recent weeks. In response to Haftar’s statement, the UN-backed Fayez al-Sarraj vowed, “We are prepared to respond to any threats aimed at undermining security in any part of our country.