Sarraj Holds Onto Civilian State in Libya, Rotation of Power

Head of Libya's Government of National Accord (GNA) Fayez al-Sarraj attends a meeting in Rome on March 20, 2017. Remo Casilli / Reuters
Head of Libya's Government of National Accord (GNA) Fayez al-Sarraj attends a meeting in Rome on March 20, 2017. Remo Casilli / Reuters
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Sarraj Holds Onto Civilian State in Libya, Rotation of Power

Head of Libya's Government of National Accord (GNA) Fayez al-Sarraj attends a meeting in Rome on March 20, 2017. Remo Casilli / Reuters
Head of Libya's Government of National Accord (GNA) Fayez al-Sarraj attends a meeting in Rome on March 20, 2017. Remo Casilli / Reuters

Head of Libya's Government of National Accord (GNA) Fayez al-Sarraj described Libya as a civilian state amid preparations by the Libyan National Army (LNA) “to liberate Tripoli.”

During his meeting with 50 members of the House of Representatives led by the deputy speaker, Fawzi al-Nuwairi, he talked about his vision on the civilian state, the unity of its sovereign institutions, and separation and rotation of power.

According to the statement, Sarraj underscored the importance of national accord and tackled the National Dialogue Conference (NDC) to set the stage for elections.

He pointed out that the conferees expressed their support to the civil state and the NDC that is set to be held in mid-April in Ghadames, northwestern Libya.

Further, Speaker Aguila Saleh assured that all matters will be on track as he met the foreign minister of the government allied with the parliament, Abdulhadi al-Hweij. Saleh noted that the legitimate bodies should cooperate to overcome this phase, according to the statement.

In return, Libyan National Army (LNA) commander Khalifa Haftar said that he wants to put an end to the suffering of the Libyans. During his meeting with a delegation of EU ambassadors, Haftar said he was seeking the creation of a state that provides security to Libyans.

His statement coincided with Troops of 115 Task Force Battalion affirming that its members are ready to liberate Tripoli.

“Tripoli is in our hearts,” the battalion said on Thursday on its Facebook page.

Its members “are ready to sacrifice their lives by either reaching victory or martyrdom,” it said.



Syrian Police Impose Curfew in Homs after Unrest

Syrian children play on a damaged tank in Homs, on December 20, 2024. (AFP)
Syrian children play on a damaged tank in Homs, on December 20, 2024. (AFP)
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Syrian Police Impose Curfew in Homs after Unrest

Syrian children play on a damaged tank in Homs, on December 20, 2024. (AFP)
Syrian children play on a damaged tank in Homs, on December 20, 2024. (AFP)

Syrian police have imposed an overnight curfew in the city of Homs, state media reported, after unrest there linked to demonstrations that residents said were led by members of the minority Alawite and Shiite communities.

Reuters could not immediately confirm the demands of the demonstrators nor the degree of disturbance that took place.

Some residents said the demonstrations were linked to pressure and violence in recent days aimed at members of the Alawite minority, a sect long seen as loyal to former President Bashar al-Assad, who was toppled by opposition fighters on Dec. 8.

Spokespeople for Syria’s new ruling administration led by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group, a former al-Qaeda affiliate, did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the curfew.

State media said the curfew was being imposed for one night, from 6pm (1500 GMT) local time until 8am on Thursday morning.

The country's new leaders have repeatedly vowed to protect minority religious groups.

Small demonstrations also took place in other areas on or near Syria’s coast, where most of the country’s Alawite minority live, including in the city of Tartous.

The demonstrations took place around the time an undated video was circulated on social networks showing a fire inside an Alawite shrine in the city of Aleppo, with armed men walking around inside and posing near human bodies.

The interior ministry said on its official Telegram account that the video dated back to the opposition offensive on Aleppo in late November and the violence was carried out by unknown groups, adding that whoever was circulating the video now appeared to be seeking to incite sectarian strife.

The ministry also said that some members of the former regime had attacked interior ministry forces in Syria’s coastal area on Wednesday, leaving a number of dead and wounded.