The airport has been closed since it suffered widespread damage during battles between rival groups in 2014. But it would be a symbolic blow to the government if the site fell to Hifter, who could use it as a key staging ground for further advances.

Hifter’s militia is aligned with a separate administration based in eastern Libya. The country, rich in oil and gas reserves, has been split into rival regions for years as the United Nations and others try to hammer out a peace deal and set a road map for elections.

Hifter’s offensive could usher in the most significant escalation of violence since the toppling of Libyan dictator Moammar Gaddafi in 2011. Hifter was a general in Gaddafi’s army, but he defected and spent years living in Northern Virginia. He returned to Libya to take part in the revolution against Gaddafi’s rule.

Hundreds of truckloads of fighters from different militias left the city of Misurata on Saturday, heading to Tripoli to help fend off Hifter’s forces, said militia sources and residents of Misurata, about 120 miles east of the capital.

Many Misurata residents — and the city’s militias — despise Hifter and view him as another dictator in the making. Militias from other pro-government cities such as Zintan also moved into Tripoli, according to photos posted on social media.

Who is Khalifa Hifter and why is he marching on Tripoli?

In Misurata, a radio station sent out a rallying cry to listeners: “Everyone who owns a gun please go to Tripoli right away to fight for your country against Hifter.”

Fayez Sarraj, chairman of the Presidential Council of Libya, said Hifter rejected concessions offered “to avoid bloodshed.”

“We were stabbed in the back,” he said in televised comments, the Associated Press reported.

Tripoli is a city accustomed to eruptions of militia violence. In some neighborhoods, life remained typical Saturday, with people shopping and going to work or school, said residents reached by phone.

“The city is normal,” said Jamal Mustafa, 35, an employee at a Libyan overseas investment firm. “People are shopping and going out and doing their routines.”

But in neighborhoods closer to the fighting, residents were preparing for the worst. Many stayed inside their homes as heavily armed militia vehicles steadily drove through to the front line.

Jamal Ramadan, 42, whose house is less than three miles from the old airport, decided to flee.

“We could hear heavy shelling and gunshots,” said the taxi driver and father of three children, ages 3 to 6. “My wife told me she was to afraid to stay. So we got a few clothes and left. We are not going to gamble our lives on this.”

They drove about 90 miles to stay with his wife’s relatives.

“We don’t want Hifter to come,” said Mustafa. “Anyone who wants to rule the country like Gaddafi is unacceptable.”

Human Rights Watch on Saturday raised concerns about possible abuses if fighting escalated inside the capital. Activists accuse Hifter’s fighters of committing numerous human rights violations, including summary executions, indiscriminate attacks on civilians and arbitrary detentions.

Pro-government militias also have a track record of abuses against civilians, the watchdog group said.

“Whenever rival armed forces clash in Libyan cities, it’s civilians who suffer the most,” Sarah Leah Whitson, the group’s Middle East and North Africa director, said in a statement. “All sides need to abide by the laws and minimize civilian harm.”

Watch: Migrants face abuse at hands of Libya’s coast guard

Earlier Saturday, government warplanes targeted Hifter’s militiamen in attempts to stop their push toward Tripoli. The planes bombed positions of his self-described Libyan National Army south of Tripoli, prompting the warlord to declare that his forces would shoot down any aircraft flying over western Libya, local media reported. Tripoli residents on social media described hearing fighter jets passing over the city.

Saturday’s aerial assault came a day after Hifter’s forces were stopped from advancing in Tripoli at a strategic checkpoint and about 100 of his fighters were captured by pro-government militias, local media reports said.

But by Saturday, Hifter’s forces appeared to have regrouped. Their media office said on its Facebook page that they had not only seized control of the airport but also had captured another enclave, Wadi el-Rabeia, south of the capital.

There was no immediate response from the Tripoli government nor the militias that back it.

On Thursday, Hifter ordered his forces to seize control of Tripoli following their takeover of Gharyan, a town about 60 miles south of the capital. U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres personally intervened in a bid to stop the fighting but failed Friday to persuade Hifter to halt his offensive.

Hifter’s attempted power grab also risked setting off a fresh wave of people heading toward Libya’s borders or attempting to reach Europe over dangerous sea routes in the Mediterranean. Fearing a spillover of refugees, neighboring Tunisia has tightened control over its border.

Also of concern is that a power vacuum and more insecurity could allow an Islamic State affiliate that once ruled the city of Sirte to regroup.

The United Nations, the United States and other governments, including France and the United Arab Emirates, which supports Hifter, have all demanded that he pull back his forces. On Saturday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov called for restraint from all sides at a news conference in Cairo.

Any escalation in fighting threatens to torpedo a U.N.-sponsored reconciliation conference to forge a path forward for elections, scheduled for next weekend.

But Saturday, Ghassan Salamé, the U.N. special envoy to Libya, said the conference would go forward as planned, declaring that it was a year in the making and that the world body would not quickly give up its political work.

After meeting with the Tripoli government’s president, Sarraj, Salamé said in a tweet, “I want to reassure the Libyans that the UN will not leave them by themselves & will stay in Libya, working toward a political solution, silencing the guns & a peaceful political understanding btwn the various parties.”

Raghavan reported from Cairo.

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Like Washington Post World on Facebook and stay updated on foreign news</s>Libya’s internationally-recognized government said Sunday it would launch a counterattack to clear the OPEC member of forces loyal to eastern strongman Khalifa Haftar, escalating a standoff that has the potential to rattle global oil markets.

The operation, dubbed “Volcano of Anger,” seeks to “cleanse all Libyan cities of the aggressors,” the Government of National Accord’s military spokesman, Mohamed al-Qonuni, said in a brief televised statement.

Haftar’s self-styled Libyan National Army, or LNA, last week began an advance on the capital, Tripoli, to a chorus of international condemnation. Their move coincided with a visit by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and came less than two weeks before a UN-organized conference that was meant to search for a negotiated resolution to the country’s divisions.

While the latest fighting is south of Tripoli — away from most of the main oil ports and fields — the risk of disruption rises the more inflamed tensions get. Western Libya is home to the Zawiya oil terminal, the export point for crude pumped from the country’s largest field, further south at Sharara.

Drawn Out Conlict

 A drawn-out conflict would force the LNA “to commit increasing amounts of military and financial resources to its war effort,” Hamish Kinnear, a senior analyst at consultancy Verisk Maplecroft, said in a note. “This means the group will have to dial down its already limited presence in oil producing areas of the oil crescent and the south west, raising the risk of disruption to production.”

The fighting on Tripoli’s outskirts continued on Saturday despite global pleas for calm. At least 35 people have been killed in the clashes since Wednesday, according to figures from the Government of National Accord and the LNA.

The U.S. Africa Command said in a statement that it was temporarily withdrawing troops from Libya in response to “security conditions on the ground.”

Italian oil giant Eni is monitoring the developments in Tripoli “very carefully,” and the situation at the fields is under control, a spokesman for the company said in a message. He said Eni currently doesn’t have any staff in the capital. Separately, Mellitah Oil & Gas, a venture between Italy’s Eni and Libya’s state-run National Oil Corp., asked its Tripoli-based employees who live in neighborhoods “witnessing security tension” not to go to the office, according to a statement on its Facebook page.

Haftar has said that his push to Tripoli is aimed at combating militias in the area, which he said had sown chaos. But Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj, who heads the UN-recognized government, accused the eastern-based warlord of backtracking on earlier promises to work toward a political compromise. Haftar’s advance “will be met only with decisiveness and force,” Sarraj said.

The escalating rhetoric seems poised to deepen the chaos that has engulfed Libya in the eight years since Moammar Al Qaddafi was toppled and killed.

Rival militias have become the main powerbrokers in the North African country, with the Tripoli government commanding few cohesive forces and relying more on allied militias. Those same groups have vowed to meet Haftar’s offensive with force.

Meanwhile, Haftar, while repeatedly stressing he was committed to peace, has advanced steadily from his eastern stronghold to the south, and now to the west.

While he commands the country’s most organized force, Haftar lacks the oil funds that could finance his attack and bolster his bid to extend power over the fractured country. Analysts have said money could be a reason why Haftar is willing to stretch his forces with a run at Tripoli.

“The strength of LNA security over oil and gas sites was severely tested during a temporary takeover of the oil crescent ports in June 2018,” said Kinnear. “A repeat of this scenario becomes increasingly likely should fighting in the west drag on.”

He said the 300,000 barrel per day Sharara field, “will also be at a higher risk of renewed disruption while the LNA is distracted in the north west.” DM

No, not really. But now that we have your attention, we wanted to tell you a little bit about what happened at SARS.

Tom Moyane and his cronies bequeathed South Africa with a R48-billion tax shortfall, as of February 2018. It's the only thing that grew under Moyane's tenure... the year before, the hole had been R30.7-billion. And to fund those shortfalls, you know who has to cough up? You - the South African taxpayer.

It was the sterling work of a team of investigative journalists, Scorpio’s Pauli van Wyk and Marianne Thamm along with our great friends at amaBhungane, that caused the SARS capturers to be finally flushed out of the system. Moyane, Makwakwa… the lot of them... gone.

But our job is not yet done. We need more readers to become Maverick Insiders, the friends who will help ensure that many more investigations will come. Contributions go directly towards growing our editorial team and ensuring that Daily Maverick and Scorpio have a sustainable future. We can’t rely on advertising and don't want to restrict access to only those who can afford a paywall subscription. Membership is about more than just contributing financially – it is about how we Defend Truth, together.

So, if you feel so inclined, and would like a way to support the cause, please join our community of Maverick Insiders.... you could view it as the opposite of a sin tax. And if you are already Maverick Insider, tell your mother, call a friend, whisper to your loved one, shout at your boss, write to a stranger, announce it on your social network. The battle for the future of South Africa is on, and you can be part of it.</s>(Bloomberg) -- Libya’s internationally-recognized government said it would start a counterattack to clear the OPEC member of forces loyal to strongman Khalifa Haftar, escalating a standoff that has the potential to rattle global oil markets.

The operation, dubbed “Volcano of Anger,” seeks to “cleanse all Libyan cities of the aggressors,” the Government of National Accord’s military spokesman, Mohamed al-Qonuni, said in a televised statement.

Fighting on the outskirts of Tripoli showed no sign of abating despite appeals for calm by global powers and the United Nations. Haftar’s forces face well armed and experienced militias in the capital and a battle for control could lead to some of the bloodiest fighting since a 2011 civil war toppled Muammar Qaddafi.

Haftar’s self-styled Libyan National Army continued its push to enter the capital Sunday, conducting airstrikes on a road leading to Tripoli, LNA spokesman Ahmed al-Mismari said. The United Nations mission in Libya called for a short humanitarian cease-fire to evacuate civilians and wounded near the capital, but it appeared to have little impact.

At least 35 people have been killed in clashes since Wednesday, according to figures from both sides.

While the latest fighting is south of Tripoli -- away from most of the main oil ports and fields -- the risk of disruption rises the more inflamed tensions get. Western Libya is home to the Zawiya oil terminal, the export point for crude pumped from the country’s largest field, further south at Sharara.

A drawn-out conflict would force the LNA “to commit increasing amounts of military and financial resources to its war effort,” Hamish Kinnear, senior analyst at consultancy Verisk Maplecroft, said in a note. “This means the group will have to dial down its already limited presence in oil-producing areas of the oil crescent and the southwest, raising the risk of disruption to production.”

The U.S. Africa Command said it was temporarily withdrawing troops from Libya in response to “security conditions on the ground.”

Italian oil giant Eni is monitoring the developments in Tripoli “very carefully,” and the situation at the fields is under control, a spokesman for the company said in a message. He said Eni currently doesn’t have any staff in the capital. Separately, Mellitah Oil & Gas, a venture between Italy’s Eni and Libya’s state-run National Oil Corp., asked its Tripoli-based employees who live in neighborhoods “witnessing security tension” not to go to the office, according to a statement on its Facebook page.

Haftar has said that his push to Tripoli is aimed at combating militias in the area, which he said had sown chaos. But Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj, who heads the UN-recognized government, accused the eastern-based warlord of backtracking on earlier promises to work toward a political compromise. Haftar’s advance “will be met only with decisiveness and force,” Sarraj said.

“Things can still get much, much worse south of Tripoli,” said Wolfram Lacher, an analyst at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs. Both sides are adding forces to the clash, he said.

Rival militias have become the main power brokers in the North African country, with the Tripoli government commanding few cohesive forces and relying more on allied militias. Those same groups have vowed to confront Haftar’s offensive.

While he commands the country’s most organized force, Haftar lacks the oil funds that could finance his attack and bolster his bid to extend power over the fractured country. Analysts have said money could be a reason why Haftar is willing to stretch his forces with a run at Tripoli.

“The strength of LNA security over oil and gas sites was severely tested during a temporary takeover of the oil crescent ports in June 2018,” said Kinnear. “A repeat of this scenario becomes increasingly likely should fighting in the west drag on.”

The 300,000 barrel-per-day Sharara field, “will also be at a higher risk of renewed disruption while the LNA is distracted in the north west,” he said.

To contact the reporters on this story: Samer Khalil Al-Atrush in Cairo at skhalilalatr@bloomberg.net;Hatem Mohareb in Cairo at hmohareb@bloomberg.net;Salma El Wardany in Cairo at selwardany@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Lin Noueihed at lnoueihed@bloomberg.net, Tony Czuczka

For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com
Militias loyal to the internationally-recognised Government of National Accord launch a counterattack on Libyan National Army troops in the southern outskirts of Tripoli.