UN chief in Libya, warns of more armed confrontations

BENGHAZI, Libya (AP) — The U.N. chief says he's worried about a major armed showdown in Libya and is urging warring factions to instead turn to dialogue.

Antonio Guterres' remarks came as Libyan forces loyal to strongman Khalifa Hifter entered the town of Gharyan, about 50 kilometers, or 31 miles, south of the capital. It's the closest to Tripoli that Hifter's fighters reached in their campaign westwards from the country's east.

Guterres posted on Twitter on Thursday that he's "deeply concerned by the military movement taking place in Libya and the risk of confrontation."

He added: "There is no military solution. Only intra-Libyan dialogue can solve Libyan problems."

Guterres arrived in Libya on Wednesday — the first U.N. chief to visit since the 2011 uprising that toppled and later killed long-time ruler Moammar Gadhafi.</s>BENGHAZI, Libya — The U.N. chief says he’s worried about a major armed showdown in Libya and is urging warring factions to instead turn to dialogue.

Antonio Guterres’ remarks came as Libyan forces loyal to strongman Khalifa Hifter entered the town of Gharyan, about 50 kilometers, or 31 miles, south of the capital. It’s the closest to Tripoli that Hifter’s fighters reached in their campaign westwards from the country’s east.

Guterres posted on Twitter on Thursday that he’s “deeply concerned by the military movement taking place in Libya and the risk of confrontation.”

He added: “There is no military solution. Only intra-Libyan dialogue can solve Libyan problems.”

Guterres arrived in Libya on Wednesday — the first U.N. chief to visit since the 2011 uprising that toppled and later killed long-time ruler Moammar Gadhafi.

Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.</s>BENGHAZI, Libya (AP) - The U.N. chief says he's worried about a major armed showdown in Libya and is urging warring factions to instead turn to dialogue.

Antonio Guterres' remarks came as Libyan forces loyal to strongman Khalifa Hifter entered the town of Gharyan, about 50 kilometers, or 31 miles, south of the capital. It's the closest to Tripoli that Hifter's fighters reached in their campaign westwards from the country's east.

Guterres posted on Twitter on Thursday that he's "deeply concerned by the military movement taking place in Libya and the risk of confrontation."

He added: "There is no military solution. Only intra-Libyan dialogue can solve Libyan problems."

Guterres arrived in Libya on Wednesday - the first U.N. chief to visit since the 2011 uprising that toppled and later killed long-time ruler Moammar Gadhafi.</s>The recent perception that the global crude market is tightening gained traction on Thursday, aided by reports that key producer Libya is on the brink of war - and this resulted in Brent topping the $70 threshold for the first time since November.

Brent briefly touched $70.03 on Thursday before settling 9 cents higher at $69.40 per barrel, while West Texas Intermediate crude settled 36 cents lower at $62.10 per barrel.

The gains for Brent came as general Khalifa Haftar, Libya's eastern military leader, ordered his forces to march on Tripoli, which kindled concerns that open war could soon break out between the country's main political factions.

Hamish Kinnear, senior analyst for the Middle East and North Africa at Verisk Maplecroft, predicted that if war breaks out, it could be long and ugly: of Hafter's Libyan National Army he said, "Our base case is that the LNA will soon find itself bogged down in heavy fighting near Tripoli; unlike its recent advance in the south, the LNA will face more determined resistance from larger and better organized militias in the western region."

Crude on Thursday was also supported by the growing notion that demand worries - which have kept a cap on prices for weeks now - may be somewhat unfounded: Michael McCarthy, chief market strategist at CMC Markets, said, "There's a much-better-than-expected demand picture after the recent China and U.S. PMI numbers, along with a potential kicker from any U.S.-China trade agreement," he said.

Larry Kudlow, economic advisor to U.S. president Donald Trump, said trade talks between the United States and China made "good headway" last week and the two sides aim to bridge differences during further talks; plus a private business survey of China's service sector showed that the Caixin/Markit services purchasing managers' index rose to 54.4, the highest since January 2018 and up from February's 51.1, a fourth-month low.

While the higher crude prices are a benefit to many countries (including the U.S., where it will presumably spur much-needed industry investment), Dan Deming, managing director of KKM Financial, told Bloomberg television that "we're reaching an area here where demand's probably going to be very significant moving forward and the increase in demand....Chinese markets are at 7 month highs and continuing to evolve....so I feel we're reaching a critical mass here" and that demand will push prices further forward.</s>BENGHAZI, Libya (Reuters) - Forces loyal to eastern Libyan commander Khalifa Haftar have moved forces toward western Libya in a possible mission to “liberate the homeland from “terrorism”, officials said on Wednesday, suggesting Tripoli was a desirable destination.

The deployment and rhetoric is likely to alarm the internationally recognized government in Tripoli, whose Prime Minister Fayez al-Serraj has been negotiating over a power-sharing deal with a parallel administration in the east that is allied to Haftar.

Ahmed Mismari, a spokesman for the Libyan National Army (LNA) force controlling eastern Libya, did not say directly whether his force would move on Tripoli in western Libya controlled by the internationally recognized government opposing a parallel administration in the east.

But he said the LNA was gathering forces for a possible mission “to liberate the homeland from terrorism.”

“We expect the women of Tripoli to welcome the Libyan army like the women of Benghazi and Derna did,” he said, referring to two eastern cities which the LNA took by force.

He also called on young people in Tripoli to focus on the battle between LNA and Daesh, or Islamic State, in another hint that military action might be looming.

A video released by the LNA media office showed a convoy of armored vehicles and pickup trucks mounted with heavy guns on the road.

“In fulfillment of his (Haftar) orders, several military units moved to the western region to purge the remaining terrorist groups located in their last hideouts,” the LNA said in a statement with the video.

It gave no details but the area appears to be the coastal road linking the eastern city of Benghazi, the LNA main base, with Tripoli.

A resident in Ras Lanuf, an oil town located on the coastal road, said tanks and military convoys were seen heading westwards in the direction of Sirte.

Sirte is in central Libya controlled by a force from the western city of Mistrata allied to the Tripoli administration.

In January, the LNA, which is loyal to Haftar, started a campaign to take control of the south and its oilfields.

The United Nations is holding a conference this month in the southwestern city of Ghadames to discuss a political solution to prepare the country for elections and to avoid a military showdown.</s>UN chief in Libya, warns of more armed confrontations

BENGHAZI, Libya (AP) — The U.N. chief says he's worried about a major armed showdown in Libya and is urging warring factions to instead turn to dialogue.

Antonio Guterres' remarks came as Libyan forces loyal to strongman Khalifa Hifter entered the town of Gharyan, about 50 kilometers, or 31 miles, south of the capital. It's the closest to Tripoli that Hifter's fighters reached in their campaign westwards from the country's east.

Guterres posted on Twitter on Thursday that he's "deeply concerned by the military movement taking place in Libya and the risk of confrontation."

He added: "There is no military solution. Only intra-Libyan dialogue can solve Libyan problems."

Guterres arrived in Libya on Wednesday — the first U.N. chief to visit since the 2011 uprising that toppled and later killed long-time ruler Moammar Gadhafi.</s>BENGHAZI, Libya, April 3 (Reuters) - Forces loyal to eastern Libyan commander Khalifa Haftar have been ordered to move to western Libya to fight militants, their media office said on Wednesday.

The deployment is likely to alarm the internationally recognized government in Tripoli, whose Prime Minister Fayez al-Serraj has been negotiating over a power-sharing deal with a parallel administration in the east that is allied to Haftar.

A video released by the Libyan National Army (LNA) media offfice showed a convoy of armoured vehicles and pickup trucks mounted with heavy guns on the road.

"In fulfilment of his (Haftar) orders, several military units moved to the western region to purge the remaining terrorist groups located in their last hideouts," the LNA said in a statement with the video.

It gave no details but the area appears to be the coastal road linking the eastern city of Benghazi, the LNA main base, with Tripoli in western Libya.

A resident in Ras Lanuf, an oil town located on the coastal road, said tanks and military convoys were seen heading westwards in the direction of Sirte.

Sirte is in central Libya controlled by a force from the western city of Mistrata allied to the Tripoli administration.

In January, the LNA, which is loyal to Haftar, started a campaign to take control of the south and its oilfields.

The United Nations is holding a conference this month in the southwestern city of Ghadames to discuss a political solution to prepare the country for elections and to avoid a military showdown. (Reporting by Ayman al-Warfalli, Writing by Ahmed Elumami, Editing by Ulf Laessing and Angus MacSwan)</s>Forces loyal to Libya’s eastern strongman General Khalifa Haftar are advancing west toward the capital Tripoli in a renewed confrontation between the rival administrations that could escalate and threaten to disrupt, once again, Libya’s oil production and exports.

Haftar leads a self-styled Libyan National Army (LNA) with a base in the eastern city of Benghazi. LNA is the main opponent of the UN-backed Libyan government based in the capital Tripoli in the west.

On Thursday, forces loyal to Haftar clashed with rival forces south of Tripoli, LNA representatives told Reuters.

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, who is on a visit to Libya to bring rival leaders across the country together for a national reconciliation conference, tweeted: “I am deeply concerned by the military movement taking place in Libya and the risk of confrontation. There is no military solution. Only intra-Libyan dialogue can solve Libyan problems. I call for calm and restraint as I prepare to meet the Libyan leaders in the country.”

Oil-rich Libya, torn between a UN-backed government based in Tripoli and an alternative administration and institutions in the east, could see the years-long political crisis solved this month by the creation of a single government, Haftar said just a few days ago.

Since the toppling of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, the division in Libya’s political landscape has resulted in frequent attacks on oil fields and infrastructure from various groups. For years, Libya has been struggling to keep its oil production above 1 million bpd, compared to 1.6 million bpd before the clashes began.

Forces loyal to Haftar control the four oil ports in the so-called Oil Crescent in the east and the major oil fields there.

The renewed confrontation between the rival forces risks disrupting Libyan crude supply at a time in which the oil market is tightening due to the OPEC and allies’ cuts, from which Libya is exempted because of the frequent clashes and attacks on oil infrastructure.
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• None Shale Is In A Deep State Of Flux</s>UN chief in Libya, warns of more armed confrontations

BENGHAZI, Libya (AP) — The U.N. chief says he's worried about a major armed showdown in Libya and is urging warring factions to instead turn to dialogue.

Antonio Guterres' remarks came as Libyan forces loyal to strongman Khalifa Hifter entered the town of Gharyan, about 50 kilometers, or 31 miles, south of the capital. It's the closest to Tripoli that Hifter's fighters reached in their campaign westwards from the country's east.

Guterres posted on Twitter on Thursday that he's "deeply concerned by the military movement taking place in Libya and the risk of confrontation."

He added: "There is no military solution. Only intra-Libyan dialogue can solve Libyan problems."

Guterres arrived in Libya on Wednesday — the first U.N. chief to visit since the 2011 uprising that toppled and later killed long-time ruler Moammar Gadhafi.</s>BENGHAZI, Libya (AP) — The U.N. chief says he's worried about a major armed showdown in Libya and is urging warring factions to instead turn to dialogue.

Antonio Guterres' remarks came as Libyan forces loyal to strongman Khalifa Hifter entered the town of Gharyan, about 50 kilometers, or 31 miles, south of the capital. It's the closest to Tripoli that Hifter's fighters reached in their campaign westwards from the country's east.

Guterres posted on Twitter on Thursday that he's "deeply concerned by the military movement taking place in Libya and the risk of confrontation."

He added: "There is no military solution. Only intra-Libyan dialogue can solve Libyan problems."

Guterres arrived in Libya on Wednesday — the first U.N. chief to visit since the 2011 uprising that toppled and later killed long-time ruler Moammar Gadhafi.
The Libyan National Army (LNA) launches a surprise offensive in western Libya, moving units towards the Government of National Accord-held capital Tripoli, with reports of clashes in the city of Gharyan. The LNA say their operation, ordered by General Khalifa Haftar, is aimed at "cleansing the western zone from terrorist groups".