The United Nations has called off a reconciliation conference aimed at organizing elections in Libya because of fighting raging near the capital city.

Ghassan Salame, the UN envoy to Libya, said the national conference planned for next week would be postponed until further notice due to the on-going battle for Tripoli.

"We cannot ask people to take part in the conference during gunfire and air strikes," he said, adding that he hoped the meeting would go ahead as soon as possible.

Major players in Libya were meant to meet in the Western border town of Ghadames on April 14 to 16 to hammer out a deal paving the way to nation-wide elections later this year.

The meeting was the center piece of months of UN diplomacy, and the central goal was to broker a deal between Fayez al-Serraj, the prime minister of the internationally recognized government in Tripoli, and Khalifa Haftar, a renegade general whose self-styled Libyan National Army (LNA) controls the east of the country.

But the plan was thrown into chaos last week when Gen Haftar launched an assault on Tripoli, the seat of Mr Serraj’s government, on the pretext of rooting out terrorists.</s>As with elsewhere in the Middle East, Libya has become an outlet for regional powers to play out their rivalries. The GNA has the backing of the U.N. and Qatar, and the recognition of much of the wider international community. However, most of the West has only offered words of support. General Haftar’s LNA has more invested and involved backers: Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, France, and Russia. But this time there is a sense of alarm among some of them that their proxy is acting unilaterally.

On one side is the U.N.-recognized Government of National Accord (GNA), which controls Tripoli and large swathes of western Libya. On the other are the advancing forces of Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar and his self-styled Libyan National Army (LNA), which for two years has run a parallel government in eastern Libya and has recently captured the oil-rich south.

In Libya, intense fighting in the capital the past several days is threatening to plunge the country into another civil war, topple the United Nations-backed government, and snuff out the flicker of hope for democracy and stability in the North African country.

In Libya, intense fighting in the capital the past several days is threatening to plunge the country into another civil war, topple the United Nations-backed government, and snuff out the flicker of hope for democracy and stability in the North African country.

On one side is the U.N.-recognized government of Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj, whose Government of National Accord (GNA) and allied militias control Tripoli and large swathes of western Libya. On the other are the advancing forces of Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar and his self-styled Libyan National Army (LNA), which for two years has run a parallel government in eastern Libya and has recently captured the oil-rich south.

At stake is more than just democracy in Libya. For regional backers of the opposing sides, it’s about the message being sent to the Arab world.

After months of diplomatic deadlock, General Haftar launched his assault on Tripoli on Friday – the very day U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres arrived in the Libyan capital to prepare for a U.N.-backed conference to organize new elections.

Many observers believe General Haftar launched the offensive to either strengthen his position ahead of next week’s talks or ensure the conference never takes place at all. He likely also timed the assault to coincide with Mr. Guterres’ visit to undermine the international community’s and Libyans’ confidence in Mr. Sarraj. The siege also comes at a time of political turmoil in neighboring Algeria, whose military leadership had been wary of General Haftar and his Gulf backers. As such, it is an act of defiance and confidence bordering on arrogance that has been a hallmark of the general’s rise to the top in Libya.

Q: So who is General Haftar, and what does he want?

A former Libyan general, he was once a key ally of ousted dictator Muammar Qaddafi, whom he had helped seize power in a military coup in 1969. General Haftar fell out with the Libyan strongman after Qaddafi abandoned him as a prisoner of war in Chad following a failed military operation. In the 1990s, General Haftar defected to the United States, where he became a leader of the Libyan opposition in exile.

The general returned to Libya during the 2011 uprising to help lead the fight against Qaddafi. In the power vacuum and infighting since the dictator’s ouster and death, General Haftar has billed himself as a military strongman who would restore stability and prosperity to the country, slowly conquering town after town and allying himself with various militias in the eastern part of the country.

Although he prides himself on being a secular leader cleansing Libya of “terrorists” and “Islamists” such as the Muslim Brotherhood, the general has no stated ideology or platform other than the belief that Libya must be ruled as a military dictatorship – with him at the helm.

General Haftar reportedly is no fan of democracy, pluralism, or individual freedoms; his LNA has cracked down on environmental activists and even organized book burnings in Benghazi. Observers and those who have met the rogue general frequently describe him as a “warlord,” a “proud strongman,” and a “dictator without a state.” Should his LNA forces succeed in taking Tripoli, the general may soon have that state he has longed for.

Q: Who has the upper hand on the battlefield?

Prime Minister Sarraj’s GNA, whose troops are few in number, relies on various militias from cities along the coast, including Misurata and Zawiyah; skilled fighters who played key roles in ousting Qaddafi in 2011. Another core member of Mr. Sarraj’s alliance is the Justice and Construction Party – the Libyan branch of the Muslim Brotherhood.

Despite billing itself as a unified “national army,” General Haftar’s LNA is a mishmash of militias, tribes, ideologies, and interests, united only in their frustration with the status quo and collective faith that Qaddafi’s former right-hand man can lead them to power and prosperity. Belying the general’s anti-Islamist credentials, the LNA has also absorbed ultraconservative Salafi Islamists who wish to impose an austere form of Islam on Libya.

By offering protection, a sense of belonging, and weapons, General Haftar has quickly grown and broadened his coalition in a few short years. It is believed that in terms of sheer manpower and arms, he has the upper hand.

Mr. Sarraj’s government has the backing of the U.N. and Qatar, and the recognition of much of the West and wider international community. However, most of the West has only passively approved of the GNA, offering words of support, but little else.

General Haftar’s LNA has more invested and involved backers: Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, France, and Russia. The UAE has supported General Haftar the past few years, partly due to its rival Qatar’s backing of Mr. Sarraj, but also due to the renegade general’s intention to clear Libya of the Muslim Brotherhood. It is said that Abu Dhabi has provided support and even built an airport within General Haftar’s territory. France, meanwhile, has reportedly provided military and intelligence support to General Haftar at the same time it was acting as a broker between the two sides.

Russia was also quick to ally itself with General Haftar, with Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov hosting him in multiple high-profile visits to Moscow the past three years. Singling out the warlord as Moscow’s man in North Africa, Russia has sold weapons to the LNA and even printed Libyan banknotes in exchange for agreements allowing Russian military bases on Libyan soil.

Yet neighboring Egypt is perhaps General Haftar’s staunchest ally. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi sees a kindred spirit in the military strongman waging a crusade against Islamists. Egypt is determined that General Haftar succeeds not only in maintaining a tight grip over eastern Libya along Egypt’s borders, but in rooting out the Brotherhood – the democratically elected group Mr. Sisi overthrew in a military coup in 2013.

Q: How have they responded to the fighting?

As with elsewhere in the Middle East, Libya has become an outlet for regional powers to play out their rivalries. But this time there is a sense of alarm among some of General Haftar’s backers that their proxy has overruled them and is acting unilaterally.

The UAE, ever pragmatic and eager to protect its recent investment projects and planned overhaul of Libya’s oil infrastructure, does not want to see his offensive plunge Libya into civil war, and spoke out against the offensive in a joint statement with the U.S., France, Italy, and the United Kingdom.

Egypt, however, reportedly is pushing the general to continue his march to Tripoli. Observers also link his drive with the rogue general’s meeting last week in Riyadh with Saudi King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who have expressed renewed interest in becoming involved in North Africa.

The Saudi monarchy, eager to prevent democracy from spreading from Algeria eastward in a “second Arab Spring,” has allegedly given General Haftar the green light to march on Tripoli, a move that threatens to strain ties between the normally united Gulf monarchies.</s>Libya's warring parties Tuesday faced mounting international pressure to halt fighting near the capital that has caused thousands to flee and left several dozen people dead.

UN chief Antonio Guterres called late Monday for a ceasefire in the hostilities, after Tripoli's only functional airport was hit in an air strike.

Guterres "urges the immediate halt of all military operations in order to de-escalate the situation and prevent an all-out conflict," a statement from the United Nations said.

The oil-rich northern African country has been rocked by violent power struggles between an array of armed groups since the NATO-backed overthrow of dictator Moamer Kadhafi in 2011.

The UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) controls the capital, but its authority is not recognised by a parallel administration in the east of the country, allied with military commander and strongman Khalifa Haftar.

Haftar's forces, who launched a surprise offensive on the Libyan capital last week, claimed responsibility for Monday's air raid on Mitiga airport. It caused no casualties, but left a metre-deep crater on a runway.

Flights were suspended on Monday, but the airport was due to be reopened to night-time flights only late Tuesday.

The civil aviation authority has decided "only night flights can resume until further notice," the spokesman for Libyan Airlines Mohamad Gniwa told AFP, adding the first flights would be to bring home travellers stuck abroad following the air strike.

Another airport source confirmed the resumption of night-time flights from the former military airbase, without giving further details.

Since his lightning offensive on Tripoli last Thursday, Hafter has defied international calls to halt his advance, including from the UN Security Council and the United States.

The unity government's health ministry on Monday put the death toll in the fighting at 35. Haftar's forces have said 14 of their fighters have died.

The UN said the clashes have displaced some 3,400 people, up from an earlier estimate of 2,800.

"Clashes with heavy weapons are affecting residential areas, and an unknown number of civilians are unable to flee these locations," UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters in New York on Monday.

French President Emmanuel Macron spoke with GNA leader Fayez al-Sarraj to voice his "total opposition to the offensive against the capital and the endangering of civilian lives", the unity government said.

The French presidency said in a statement that Macron had also been in contact with Haftar and in his calls expressed his "deep concern about the latest developments", adding it was "imperative" that the fighting ends immediately.

Haftar is a former Kadhafi military chief who has emerged as a major player in Libya's political struggle.

Having seized control of much of eastern Libya -- and buoyed by a series of victories in the desert south -- he turned his sights on Tripoli, vowing to "cleanse" it of "terrorists and mercenaries".

His offensive threatens to plunge the country into a full-blown civil war and has thrown into sharp relief the divisions between world powers over how to end the chaos that has riven Libya since 2011.

All-party talks led by the UN are due to be held from April 14-16 in the Libyan city of Ghadames.

But despite assurances from UN envoy Ghassan Salame that he remains committed to the conference, there are increasing doubts if it will go ahead as planned.

On one side of the struggle is Haftar, whose key allies are the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and increasingly Saudi Arabia, while he is strongly opposed by their regional foe Qatar as well as Doha's chief supporter Turkey.

Russia has said meanwhile it is not taking sides in the fighting in Libya but behind the scenes, experts say, Moscow is firmly backing Haftar.

"Haftar is ideologically close to Russia," said analyst Alexander Shumilin of the Centre for the Analysis of Middle East Conflicts in Moscow.

"He is supplied with Russian weapons and gladly takes them. He is Moscow's man," he said.

On the other side of the fight, Sarraj's UN-backed government retains substantial support from former colonial power Italy.</s>Fighting in Tripoli intensified drastically on Wednesday as rival armies brought tanks and multiple rocket-launch systems to bear in the deadly struggle for control of the Libyan capital.

The escalation came as Fayez al-Sarraj, the prime minister of the internationally recognised Government of National Accord, issued an address to the nation urging Libyans to defend the capital city from renegade general Khalifa Haftar’s self-styled Libyan National Army.

In an address distributed on Wednesday afternoon, Mr Serraj accused Gen Haftar of sabotaging months of painstaking peace negotiations and said he would resist the general’s “coup d’etat” with “firmness and strength”.

“We have extended our hand of peace, yet forces of Haftar have declared war on our cities and capital,” Mr Serraj said. “Accordingly we have issued our instructions and announced the state of general mobilisation for all Libyan armed forces and security services.”

In an apparent swipe at Gen Haftar’s multiple foreign backers, he added: "A final word for the countries that support the conflict between Libyans: fear Allah, stop interfering in our affairs and lift your hands off my country."</s>The United Nations has been forced to postpone a carefully planned and potentially watershed national conference on Libya’s political future following the attack on the Libyan capital, Tripoli, by forces under the command of the eastern warlord Khalifa Haftar.

The two-day conference in the town of Ghadames was due to be attended by 120 delegates on 14-15 April. The decision to shelve the summit is a blow to Libya’s democratic forces, who had hoped it might open a path to presidential and parliamentary elections by the end of this year.

But Ghassan Salamé, the UN special envoy for Libya, said the global body intended to convene the conference as soon as conditions permit, but that it would be impossible to hold the talks “to the backdrop of artillery shelling and air raids”.

“The renewed violence undermined the minimum confidence to launch any fruitful dialogue,” he said in a statement.

The announcement came as Libyan health officials said the death toll in Tripoli had reached 49 since the battle for the capital started in earnest last Thursday.

Both sides claimed military advances: Haftar’s Libyan national army asserted they were making progress across seven fronts mainly in the south of Tripoli, but the spokesman for the UN-recognised government of national accord (GNA) said Haftar’s forces were being pushed back.

Analysts said Haftar had been expecting that more forces in the west of the country, including some Tripoli militia, would desert the GNA’s prime minister, Fayez al-Sarraj. Haftar has billed his campaign as an effort to drive out Islamist militias that use corruption and violence to control the GNA.

However, Haftar’s critics claim he has no interest in democracy, and say he launched his assault just as Salamé’s peace plan was reaching a critical stage.

The success of Haftar’s gamble may depend on the degree of private pressure exerted by his allies including Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and France.

Britain, the “penholder” on Libya at the UN, was on Tuesday testing the possibility of pushing for a fresh UN security council resolution calling for economic sanctions against Haftar, something that might lead to a Russian veto.

The UK foreign secretary, Jeremy Hunt, also held calls with his French counterpart, Jean-Yves Le Drian, and with the UAE’s foreign ministry.

France, which is under pressure to join the UK, Germany and the US in condemning Haftar’s actions, issued a statement saying the French president had spoken with both Haftar and Sarraj.

The Élysée statement said the Emmanuel Macron “recalled that there was no military solution to the Libyan conflict. It marked the imperative to act immediately to end the fighting and ease tensions. He gave his full support to the United Nations mediation efforts and called on all parties to return to dialogue.”

Le Drian said it was essential that talks were re-established on the basis of an agreement reached between Sarraj and Haftar in Abu Dhabi on 27 February that reduced the size of the current nine-strong presidential council .

Salamé did little to hide his frustration at the fighting’s impact on his efforts to bring about political reconciliation. “We were surprised to hear the drums of war again with an unexpected attack,” he said.

In a Facebook message he continued: “We began to invite the Libyan personalities to attend the Libyan national forum, not to install a political elite, as some imagined, nor to share any cake, but to resolve the options among the Libyans and to ensure that the emerging formulas are fair to all Libyans and loyal to what came during the Libyan consultative process.”</s>A crater is seen at the blast site after an air strike at Mitiga airport in Tripoli, Libya April 8, 2019. REUTERS/Hani Amara

TRIPOLI/GENEVA (Reuters) - Health facilities near Tripoli have reported 47 people killed and 181 wounded in recent days as eastern forces seek to take Libya's capital from an internationally-recognized government, the United Nations' health body said on Tuesday.

The renewed conflict in a nation splintered since the 2011 toppling of Muammar Gaddafi also risks depleting medical supplies, the World Health Organisation (WHO) warned.

The death toll - higher than that given by either side yet - appeared to be mainly fighters, although it also included some civilians including two doctors, WHO spokesman Tarik Jasarevic told a Geneva news briefing.

The eastern Libyan National Army (LNA) forces of Khalifa Haftar - a former general in Gaddafi's army - seized largely-desert southern Libya earlier this year before heading to the coastal capital this month, where they are ensconced on the south side.

The United Nations, United States, European Union and G7 block have all appealed for a ceasefire and a return to U.N. peace plan, but Haftar has so far not heeded them.

A warplane took out Tripoli's only functioning airport on Monday, and the number of displaced - 3,400 at the last U.N. count - is mounting alongside the casualties.

The conflict threatens to disrupt oil supplies, boost migration to Europe and scupper hopes for an election to end rivalries between parallel administrations in east and west.

U.N. officials said they were concerned that civilians could be used as human shields or forcibly recruited to fight.

"The people of Libya have long been caught between numerous warring parties, with some of the most vulnerable suffering some of the gravest violations of their human rights," U.N. Human Rights High Commissioner Michelle Bachelet said.

"I appeal to all sides to come together to avoid further senseless violence and bloodshed."</s>
• Battle for Tripoli is proceeding according to the operational plan, says LNA
• France of being behind Libya’s Tripoli war, accuses EU Parliament president

Libya, the imperialism-devastated oil-rich African country, is going through escalated armed conflict for the last few days.

The Libyan National Army (LNA), led by Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, took control of the Yarmuk military camp south of Tripoli.

Flights at Mitiga International Airport were suspended and passengers were evacuated. No casualties were reported.

Tripoli International, an older airport, has also been a focal point for clashes in recent days. The airport has not been operating since 2014.

Fayez al-Serraj, Prime Minister of one of the two governments in Libya, has accused Haftar of attempting to carry out a coup.

At least 2,800 people have so far fled fighting around Tripoli.

The UN warns that those who remain risk being cut off from vital services because of the clashes.

International powers have started evacuating personnel from the country as the situation has deteriorated.

An official source said at least 25 people had been killed and 80 wounded so far, including civilians and fighters.

Haftar’s forces said they had lost at least 19 fighters.

Much of the international community have called for a ceasefire to hostilities.

The US military is among those to withdraw its supporting forces based in Libya, blaming the “complex and unpredictable” situation and “increased unrest” on the ground.

The UN is also due to pull out non-essential staff.

Residents of Tripoli have reportedly begun stocking up on food and fuel.

An LNA spokesperson said the battle for Tripoli was proceeding according to the operational plan as LNA units were approaching residential areas of the city.

Since the beginning of its military offensive to Tripoli on April 4, the LNA has seized several cities near Tripoli.

The Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) expressed “extreme concern” over migrants that are held in Libyan detention centers located in or near areas affected by the ongoing fighting between Libya’s rival forces.

The UN has condemned an air strike that closed the only functioning airport in Libya’s capital, Tripoli, on Monday.

Haftar, who already presides over the majority of Libyan territory, aims to take full control of the country. Prime Minister Fayez al-Serraj, leader of another government, accused Haftar of mounting a coup. Fayez al-Serraj said rebels would be met with force.

Field Marshal Haftar announced an offensive against Tripoli in a bid to oust “militias” from the city last week. On April 7, the forces loyal to the Tripoli-based Government of National Accord (GNA) said that they were launching a counteroffensive, dubbed Volcano of Rage.

Since the beginning of the offensive, the LNA has already gained control over several cities near Tripoli and over Tripoli International Airport. The GNA later said its forces had retaken the airport, but the LNA refuted the claims.

LNA has declared a no-fly zone over the western parts of Libya, which are governed by the GNA, and has warned that all aircraft, apart from commercial flights, that breach the restrictions will be targeted by the LNA, the forces’ spokesperson, Ahmed Al-Mismari, said.

The no-fly zone includes aerial photography, the spokesperson tweeted late on Sunday.

Political turmoil has gripped Libya since imperialism deposed and killed Muammar Gaddafi, the Libyan leader, in 2011. Because of a civil conflict since 2011, there is no single central government in Libya, and separate powers control the country’s eastern and western parts. The Tobruk-based parliament, elected in 2014 and backed by the LNA, governs the east of Libya, while the GNA, established in 2015, controls Libya’s western parts from Tripoli.

In late 2015, the parties to the conflict signed a Libyan Political Agreement in the Moroccan city of Skhirat, outlining the creation of the GNA as the legitimate interim Libyan government. However, the deal was not fully implemented due to the eastern-based parliament’s disagreement over some of its provisions.

Ali Faraj Qatrani, the vice president of the GNA Presidential Council, announced his resignation after a rift with GNA head Prime Minister Fayez Sarraj, Al-Arabiya TV channel reported on Monday.

Al-Arabiya report said: Qatrani decided to resign being dissatisfied with Fayez Sarraj making decisions on his own. Qatrani also stressed that the prime minister would make Libya split and suffer even more.

218 TV channel reported: Qatrani expressed support for military operations going on in Tripoli that are conducted by the LNA.

The Tripoli-based Presidential Council of Libya carries out the functions of supreme executive authority in the country and is presiding over the GNA. Sarraj is currently the head of both structures.

French President Emmanuel Macron and GNA Prime Minister Fayez Sarraj held a phone call on Monday to discuss the offensive on Tripoli.

The French president “harshly criticized the aggression against the capital, which puts civilians at risk”, said a GNA statement.

Sarraj promised to Macron he would “stand up to this aggression”, adding Haftar “has only one option, which is to immediately stop, go back to where he came from”.

France of being behind Libya’s Tripoli war

Antonio Tajani, President of the European Parliament, has accused France of intervening in Libya to serve its interests after nearly four days of clashes in the suburbs of Tripoli.

Tajani, who is also vice president of the Italian party “Forza Italia”, commented on the Italian Interior Minister, Matteo Salvini’s statements that the economic interests of a foreign country are behind the military operation launched on the Libyan capital, Tripoli, in an implicit reference to France.

“We have always said that France and Italy have separate interests in Libya, so much so, that Sarkozy was one of the strong supporters of overthrowing and then killing Muammar Gaddafi along with the Americans and the British,” Tajani told Italian media.

“France has made a dramatic historical mistake and was hoping for a stronger presence in Libya, but at the end, there is nothing but chaos and we have paid the price, through the continuing migration flows,” he added.

He further explained that what is happening now reflects Italy’s inability to be in the dominion of the situation in Libya, saying that this will open the door for new migration flows.

Tajani stressed that any new civil war in Libya will force hundreds of thousands of people to flee that country, warning that if stability is not established in Libya by this season, there will be 2.5 billion Africans in Europe by 2050.

“If nothing is done now, the situation will become unmanageable,” he added, warning that Italy and all Europe will be the first to pay the price, saying “This is why we must move now; Italy, unfortunately, has achieved nothing in Libya”.

The EU Parliament head’s remarks came on the eve of the EU foreign ministers meeting in Luxembourg, where the military developments in Tripoli imposed itself forcefully on the meeting’s agenda, amid obvious and significant disagreements between France, Italy, and Britain.

A French diplomatic source, cited by AFP, on Monday has addressed the tense situation in Libya, reiterating its support for the GNA.

Speaking about the latest developments in Libya, a French diplomatic source, as quoted by AFP, has rejected allegations that Paris is on the side of Marshal Haftar, stressing that France wasn’t aware of his plans to start a military offensive targeting Tripoli.

As the source underlined, Paris is putting the GNA at the centre of the political process in Libya, explaining that they have tried to persuade Haftar not to launch a fresh military offensive.

Field Marshal Haftar was rehabilitated in 2016 by several countries, first and foremost France, especially because of his role in the fight against “terrorist groups” and illegal immigration.

On Saturday, French ambassador to Libya Béatrice le Fraper du Hellen reportedly met with the GNA Prime Minister Serraj to explain alleged France’s support for Haftar as a player in Libya’s political settlement

UN Chief calls for immediate halt to fighting

Antonio Guterres, UN Secretary-General, on Monday strongly condemned the military escalation near Tripoli and called for an immediate halt to the fighting.

Guterres’ appeal followed an air attack by the forces of Khalifa Haftar on the Mitiga airport east of the capital.

Earlier UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) spokesperson Russell Geekie said that the number of displaced people fleeing from the fighting in Libya’s capital Tripoli had reached 3,400.

On Sunday, the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) demanded from the conflicting sides to organize a two-hour humanitarian truce for evacuation of those injured during the LNA operation in Tripoli, but the conflicting sides refused to follow the UN request.

U.S. oil rises to highest point since Halloween

U.S. oil prices rose to their highest since Halloween on fears of a global supply squeeze due to fighting in Libya and the Trump administration’s decision to designate Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps a foreign terrorist organization.

International benchmark Brent futures touched their strongest level since last November at $71.34 per barrel on Tuesday, and were still at $71.16 at 0057 GMT, up 6 cents, or 0.1 percent, from their last close.</s>Dozens of people have been reported killed and scores more injured in clashes on the edge of Libya’s coastal capital Tripoli after warlord Khalifa Haftar ordered his troops to take the city from the U.N.-backed government April 4. The offensive by the military chief Haftar, who has U.S. citizenship, has pushed Libya to the brink of civil war.

The Tripoli based-government announced on April 7 it was launching a counter-offensive it called Operation Volcano of Anger. On April 8, an airstrike the U.N. blamed on Haftar’s self-styled National Libyan Army (NLA) shut down Tripoli’s only functioning airport. The Health Ministry of the Tripoli-based government said at least 27 people, including civilians, have been killed since the offensive began. The media office of Hafter’s army said 22 of their troops had been killed in the same period. The U.N. has called in vain for a truce and international powers have evacuated their personnel.

The escalating violence—audaciously launched during the U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres’ visit to Tripoli—comes less than two weeks before a planned conference aimed at reconciling Libya’s numerous armed factions and paving the way for democratic elections in the country, which has been riven by political instability and violence since the 2011 killing of Muammar Gaddafi.

Here’s what to know about the conflict:

Described by CNN as the “ultimate pragmatist,” the 75-year-old was an officer in the coup that brought Gaddafi to power in 1969 but fell out with the dictator in the late 1980s. He exiled himself in the U.S., where he took citizenship, but returned to Libya in time to participate in the NATO-backed civil war in 2011 that ended Gaddafi’s 42-year reign.

He rose to prominence in Libya again in 2014, when he railed against the failure of the then-mandated General National Congress (GNC) to guard against the rise of insurgent groups and began a military campaign against Islamist militias called Operation Dignity.

From its stronghold in the country’s east, his LNA—which incorporates a band of loosely-aligned militias—eventually expelled Islamist militias from Libya’s second city Benghazi and its surrounds. Early this year, the LNA swept Libya’s southern oil fields, and now virtually surrounds Tripoli on the Mediterranean coast.

What does he want?

Haftar has cast himself as a national protector and his offensive in terms of security. The LNA vowed to “cleanse” Libya of “terrorist groups” before its troops advanced on Tripoli from the south and west. But his opponents fear he is attempting to return Libya to authoritarian rule similar to Gaddafi’s or that overseen by Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, reportedly one of his principal international backers.

While Haftar declared war on Islamists he also enjoys the support of Libya’s conservative Salafist factions, who follow a fundamentalist version of Islam and have implemented strict Islamic law in some areas he has controlled. The conflict is “basically a struggle for the spoils of the country,” says Libya expert Frederic Wehrey, author of The Burning Shores. “The mask of ideology that perhaps was one division in the past has fallen away and now it’s just a scramble for pure economics and power.”

Why is the advance on Tripoli happening now?

Some analysts regard Haftar’s advance as a bid to change the facts on the ground before the U.N.’s planned national conference on April 14. Announced in March, the conference will discuss national unification and a timetable for long-delayed elections. On March 6—two days after Haftar announced his advance—the U.N. said it would still go ahead.

But there may also be a financial motivation for Haftar’s actions. A banking crisis has taken hold in Libya’s east, with foreign exchange reserves hit particularly hard. Haftar’s army is “a collection of self-interested groups who have latched onto his campaign for their own agendas, so he needs to keep in constant movement,” says Wehrey. “So much of Haftar’s momentum has been through cash payments and he’s got to sustain that somehow.”

Officially, they are few and far between. Every major state condoned the U.N.-backed Government of National Accord (GNA), and Prime Minister Fayez al-Serraj. But in reality, some “were also having parallel conversations with different actors and that enabled those actors to disregard the legal process and go with the military process,” says Elham Saudi, co-founder of London-based NGO Lawyers for Justice in Libya (LFJL).

Those states include Egypt and the United Arab Emirates, which want to curb the influence of the Muslim Brotherhood in Libya; Russia, which has treated wounded soldiers and reportedly printed money on behalf of Haftar; and France, which views him as key to stabilizing Libya and slowing the flow of migrants into Europe. Italy, which also wants to prevent migration through Libya, has fallen out with France over its tacit support of Haftar. “Nominally, of course, they’re on the same side, that of the U.N.-backed government,” says Joost Hiltermann, director of the Middle East and North Africa program at the International Crisis Group. “But in reality Italy and France are on opposite sides of this.”

The U.S. has supported armed groups fighting ISIS and al-Qaeda, which include those allied to the U.N.-backed government in Tripoli, and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has condemned Haftar’s advance and called for forces to return to their “status quo ante positions.” But Libya “is just not a top priority” for America, Hiltermann adds.

How has the rest of the world responded to the offenive?

Guterres, the UN chief, met Haftar in person on April 5 but apparently failed to convince him to stop his advance. He left the country “with a heavy heart and deeply concerned” that conflict could break out, he said. “I still hope it is possible to avoid a bloody confrontation in and around Tripoli.”

The U.K. attempted to pass a security council statement condemning Haftar but it was vetoed by Russia, which urged all sides to show restraint. French President Emmanuel Macron reportedly called Libya’s U.N.-backed Prime Minister Fayez al-Serraj to discuss security. His foreign minister has said there is “no military solution” to the crisis.

But no state has threatened sanctions or acted to affirm the legitimacy of the internationally-backed government in Tripoli. As such, Haftar has interpreted their warnings as an amber, rather than a red light, according to International Crisis Group. For LFJL’s Saudi, the current crisis is the “natural culmination” of the international community’s inconsistency and failure to affirm the rule of law in Libya. “The international agenda has been pure carrot and no stick,” she says. “What is the incentive now to play by the rules?”

What is the situation like for people in Tripoli?

Even before the offensive, Tripoli was groaning under the strain of internally displaced people who had fled fighting elsewhere in the country. The city’s residents have for years endured intermittent power supply, high inflation, a plunging currency, and sporadic outbreaks of violence. Conditions are direr still in the city’s migrant detention camps—a consequence of the human trafficking trade that flourished amid the instability—where overcrowding, food shortages, torture and sexual violence have been extensively documented.

But Hafta’s advance could dramatically worsen the situation. Human Rights Watch says fighters from the LNA have committed “indiscriminate attacks on civilians, summary executions of captured fighters, and arbitrary detention.” Even if he were able to secure a military victory, analysts are skeptical Haftar’s governance would bring stability. “Haftar is deeply unpopular in many places and given the fragmented state of Libya and the proliferation of armed groups it’s going to be very hard to impose his rule throughout the country,” says ICG’s Hiltermann.</s>World powers have expressed alarm at the violence, saying it threatens to further destabilise Libya and derail UN-led efforts to find a solution

Libyan military strongman Khalifa Haftar pushed on with his assault on Tripoli on Monday, defying international calls for a ceasefire days into a battle that has left dozens dead.

At least 35 people have been killed in fighting since Haftar's forces launched their assault on Thursday, Libya's unity government said, while the UN says thousands have been displaced.

Haftar has emerged as a major player, his self-styled Libyan National Army backing an administration in the country's east in opposition to the UN-backed unity government based in Tripoli. Having seized control of much of eastern Libya and buoyed by a series of victories in the desert south, Haftar turned his sights on Tripoli this month, vowing to "cleanse" it of "terrorists and mercenaries".

After a pause overnight, fighting resumed Monday morning around the capital's destroyed airport, and the rural area of Wadi Rabi further east. Unity government health minister A'hmid Omar said late Sunday that around 50 people had been wounded along with those killed. His ministry on Monday put the death toll at 35. Haftar's forces have said 14 of their fighters have died.

US is "deeply concerned" by the fighting near Tripoli and is seeking an "immediate halt" to the offensive, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Sunday. "We have made clear that we oppose the military offensive by Khalifa Haftar's forces and urge the immediate halt to these military operations against the Libyan capital," he said.

Catch up on all the latest Crime, National, International and Hatke news here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates</s>Fighting continued around Tripoli on Wednesday as forces loyal to warlord Khalifa Haftar and his Libyan National Army (LNA) consolidated their hold on the suburbs while the U.N.-sponsored Government of National Accord (GNA) dug in with barricades and machine-gun platforms.

According to the U.N., over 4,500 civilians have been displaced by the fighting, while thousands more are trapped in the war zone.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) expressed concerns about the “disproportionate and indiscriminate use” of explosives in urban areas, along with disruptions to food and medicine delivery and the risk of destabilizing Libya’s oil economy. With half a million children at risk in Tripoli, the chances of a new refugee wave pouring out of Libya into Europe are rising.

The U.N. said on Tuesday it has begun relocating refugees from detention centers in Tripoli, while an official at one center said he merely opened the doors and told the detained refugees to flee for their own safety.

The leader of the Government of National Accord, Fayez al-Sarraj, on Wednesday ordered the Interior Ministry to launch a crackdown against “sleeper cells” of Haftar supporters in Tripoli. Such an action could easily escalate into extrajudicial arrests and violence against civilians.

The U.N. Security Council met on Wednesday to discuss the Libya crisis, while a summit of competing Libyan factions scheduled for this Sunday has been postponed.

U.N. special envoy to Libya Ghassan Salame said, “The renewed violence undermined the minimum confidence to launch any fruitful dialogue,” and also mentioned “fractures that have beset foreign positions on the Libyan issue,” which could be an oblique reference to the problem that some U.N. member states support Haftar more than the GNA.

“We cannot ask people to take part in the conference during gunfire and air strikes,” he said.

Some foreign powers that formerly supported Haftar are having second thoughts after he surprised them by lunging for Tripoli. Middle East Monitor summarized the confusion at the United Nations:

Yesterday, UK Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt proposed pushing for a new UN Security Council resolution on the issue, calling for economic sanctions against Haftar, despite the possibility of a Russian veto. Meetings were subsequently held alongside his Jean-Yves Le Drian, and with the UAE’s foreign ministry. However, the controversial Libyan general has been backed by Egypt, the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Israel, prompting growing outrage from Tripoli. On Friday, Libyan Brigadier General Mohammad Al-Qunidi, the government’s chief of the military intelligence, said that Haftar was attacking the capital with Egyptian, Emirati and Saudi arms. France has also controversially backed Haftar; on Sunday it was reported that Al-Sarraj had officially asked the French ambassador to Libya to convey his protest to President Emmanuel Macron, stating that the bias contradicted previous efforts to support the country’s political transition. However, yesterday Macron reportedly called Al-Sarraj to deny any connection between Paris and Benghazi’s current campaign. The French president condemned the assault, demanding an immediate halt to the fighting.

Haftar has ignored calls from the United Nations, the United States, and European leaders to halt his offensive. While early responses to the attack speculated he was merely positioning himself for a good seat at the negotiating table in the summit that was supposed to begin on Sunday, some longtime students of Haftar’s career believe this is a moment he has been building toward for decades, including his somewhat enigmatic years of living in the United States.

A former Qaddafi supporter with solid reasons for growing disillusioned with the increasingly erratic dictator, Haftar saw an opportunity during the Arab Spring uprisings of 2011 and began amassing the power he needed for a campaign that swept across southern Libya and culminated in the siege of Tripoli. Some of his former associates think he intends to bring a refined form of idealistic Qaddafism back to Libya, essentially implementing the dictator’s original policy platform without the personal eccentricities that came to define his rule.

If this analysis is accurate, Haftar is unlikely to back down from his only real chance at taking over the country by capturing Tripoli. He probably would have done very well at the U.N.-brokered talks scuttled by his invasion. He pulled the trigger on Tripoli because he wants more.

Foreign Policy on Wednesday speculated Haftar miscalculated badly, perhaps due to impatience, megalomania, or personal anger at GNA officials. On a tactical level, he seems to have forgotten how Tripoli tends to rally against outside invaders. On a strategic level, his offensive is making it impossible for anyone except Russia to support him – a state of affairs the Russians might not find disagreeable, provided Haftar can win the battle for Tripoli and move Libya firmly into Moscow’s orbit.

Haftar’s support from Western nations and their Arab allies was based largely on his success at subduing gangs and Islamist elements across Libya, but those Western powers have always been firmly devoted to elected government and peaceful political solutions for Libya, not a dictator riding into the capital at the head of an armored column, especially if he drives past shivering refugees and a mountain of civilian corpses on the way in.

Furthermore, Haftar’s shift of attention and manpower to Tripoli threatens to undo some of his successes against Islamist elements. Middle East Eye reported on Wednesday the Islamic State is threatening to make a comeback in the south after carrying out an attack that killed several people and destroyed the home of a local council leader on Monday.

Foreign Policy (FP) argued it was a mistake for the U.N. to postpone its Sunday conference in Libya, “a decision that unfortunately appears to reward Haftar’s use of force.”

“Key players, led by the U.N., should make clear that all sides will be represented at the conference, which should be delayed only slightly, and then go ahead no matter how intense the fighting gets. They should incentivize combatants to put down their arms by promising inclusion to all forces that stand down immediately while revoking the invitations of any continuing aggressors,” FP recommended.
Aguila Saleh, speaker of the Tobruk-based Libyan parliament which Khalifa Haftar's Libyan National Army is loyal to, states that no peace agreement or UN-backed conference is possible while Tripoli "is occupied by armed groups".