Libya’s GNA Accused of Committing ‘Revenge Killings’

Smoke rises during heavy clashes between rival factions in Tripoli, Libya, August 28, 2018. REUTERS/Hani Amara
Smoke rises during heavy clashes between rival factions in Tripoli, Libya, August 28, 2018. REUTERS/Hani Amara
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Libya’s GNA Accused of Committing ‘Revenge Killings’

Smoke rises during heavy clashes between rival factions in Tripoli, Libya, August 28, 2018. REUTERS/Hani Amara
Smoke rises during heavy clashes between rival factions in Tripoli, Libya, August 28, 2018. REUTERS/Hani Amara

Forces loyal to Libya’s Government of National Accord (GNA), which is based in the capital Tripoli, have been accused of committing revenge killings in eight cities recently seized from the Libyan National Army (LNA).

Located on Tripoli’s western coast, the cities were captured by the GNA in battles with the LNA that is led by Khalifa Haftar, who controls much of Libya.

Ali Mesbah Abu Sabiha, the head of the Supreme Council of Tribes and Libyan Cities in the Southern Region, slammed on Tuesday GNA leader Fayez al-Sarraj, accusing him of praising his forces, mostly made up of illegitimate groups, after they entered cities west of Libya.

He said Sarraj has failed to “mention any blames on the killings and damages to private and public properties.”

Abu Sabiha added: “Based on the two Geneva agreements, this is considered an ugly and full-scale war crime. You and your forces will be the first accused of committing such crimes.”

Secretary-General of the Arab Organization for Human Rights (AOHR) in Libya Abdul Moneim al-Horr ruled out his knowledge about “massacres” in the captured cities.

However, he told Asharq Al-Awsat that a number of violations were committed, like theft, looting, and torching private properties and security and military headquarters.

Three strategic coastal cities - Sabratha, Surman, al-Ajaylat - located between Tripoli and the Tunisian border, are among the towns captured by Sarraj’s forces.



Lebanese Govt. to Seek New IMF Program, Policy Statement Says

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) logo is seen outside the headquarters building in Washington, U.S., September 4, 2018. REUTERS/Yuri Gripas//File Photo
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) logo is seen outside the headquarters building in Washington, U.S., September 4, 2018. REUTERS/Yuri Gripas//File Photo
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Lebanese Govt. to Seek New IMF Program, Policy Statement Says

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) logo is seen outside the headquarters building in Washington, U.S., September 4, 2018. REUTERS/Yuri Gripas//File Photo
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) logo is seen outside the headquarters building in Washington, U.S., September 4, 2018. REUTERS/Yuri Gripas//File Photo

Lebanon's new government will negotiate with the International Monetary Fund for a new program and will work to deal with the country's financial default and public debt, according to a policy statement approved by the cabinet late on Monday.

The statement, a copy of which was reviewed by Reuters, said the government would work for an economical revival that could only be achieved through restructuring the banking sector.

Lebanon has been in deep economic crisis since 2019, when its financial system collapsed under the weight of massive state debts, prompting a sovereign default in 2020 and freezing ordinary depositors out of their savings in the banking system.

Beirut reached a draft funding deal with IMF in 2022 - contingent on reforms that authorities failed to deliver.

Finance Minister Yassine Jaber, who took office as part of a new government agreed earlier this month, told Reuters an IMF mission is expected to visit Lebanon in March.

Jaber said he had met the IMF's resident representative in Lebanon, Frederico Lima, and confirmed that the government plans to move ahead with reforms.

Lebanon's political landscape has been turned on its head since the Iran-backed Lebanese group Hezbollah, long a dominant player in Lebanese politics, was badly pummelled in last year's war with Israel.

Reflecting the shift in the power balance, the government policy statement did not include language used in previous years that was seen to legitimize a role for Hezbollah in defending Lebanon, saying instead "we want a state that has the decision of war and peace".

The statement said it was required to adopt a national security strategy and a foreign policy that works to 'neutralize' Lebanon from conflicts.

In the field of energy, the Lebanese government will seek to resume work in oil and gas exploration, according to the cabinet statement. It said the government planned to establish a Ministry of Technology and Artificial Intelligence.

With a new administration in neighboring Syria, the statement said the Lebanese government believed it has an opportunity to start a serious dialogue aimed at controlling and demarcating the borders and working to resolve the issue of displaced Syrians in Lebanon.