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Turkey Voices Support to Ending Libya Conflict, Still Sends Mercenaries to Back GNA

A fighter loyal to the GNA. (Reuters)
A fighter loyal to the GNA. (Reuters)
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Turkey Voices Support to Ending Libya Conflict, Still Sends Mercenaries to Back GNA

A fighter loyal to the GNA. (Reuters)
A fighter loyal to the GNA. (Reuters)

The Turkish presidency expressed on Sunday its hope for an end to the conflict in Libya and formation of a transitional government as soon as possible.

However, its support was undermined by reports that cited Ankara’s continued dispatching of mercenaries from Syria to Libya to prop up the Tripoli-based Government of National Accord (GNA), headed by Fayez al-Sarraj, against the Libyan National Army (LNA), commanded by Khalifa Haftar.

Turkish presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin said Ankara will continue to support Libyan talks and offer all sorts of support to advance the political process.

“We hope that a new model to manage the country would be formed and that the conflict would be completely resolved. Libya boasts major capabilities … and should it invest them properly, it will be able to rise economically, achieve its security and become an influential force in North Africa,” he added.

The United Nations announced on Saturday that participants at the Libyan peace talks have agreed on the candidates to head the transitional government, which will be tasked with holding elections in the end of the year.

Meanwhile, American journalist Lindsey Snell reported that despite its alleged support to end the conflict, Turkey was still sending mercenaries to Libya.

In a tweet on Saturday, she said that Sultan Murad militants in Hawar Kilis were being “crossed to Turkey to be transferred to Libya” in spite of the ceasefire agreement reached in October.

“The ceasefire agreement in Libya stipulates that all foreign mercenaries must be expelled. Turkey’s bringing more in,” she said.

She also posted photos of a member of the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group, which has been listed a terrorist by Turkey. In the first photo, the fighter is seen carrying a flag of the group and in the other, he is seen wearing a Turkish flag patch.

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Estimates of Hunger, Disease Claiming 990 Lives in Sudan’s Darfur

Sudanese displaced arrive in El Gedaref city in the east on Sunday, fleeing from Sennar state to the south (AFP)
Sudanese displaced arrive in El Gedaref city in the east on Sunday, fleeing from Sennar state to the south (AFP)
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Estimates of Hunger, Disease Claiming 990 Lives in Sudan’s Darfur

Sudanese displaced arrive in El Gedaref city in the east on Sunday, fleeing from Sennar state to the south (AFP)
Sudanese displaced arrive in El Gedaref city in the east on Sunday, fleeing from Sennar state to the south (AFP)

Over 50,000 people fled by foot from intense fighting between the army and Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in the Sudanese city of El Fashir, North Darfur. They walked more than 60 kilometers to Tawila town in scorching temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius. Some died from hunger and thirst, as reported by local media.

Displaced individuals in Tawila and other Darfur towns endure dire conditions, with 991 deaths recorded between April 15 and May 15 due to famine and disease outbreaks, according to Adam Rijal, spokesperson for Darfur’s Coordination of Displaced Persons and Refugees.

“The displaced in Tawila are starving, with children crying from hunger,” Rijal told Asharq Al-Awsat.

“The little milk they receive isn’t enough for their small stomachs,” he added, underscoring Tawila’s critical lack of basic essentials.

Eyewitnesses described dire conditions faced by refugees fleeing war on their long journey to Tawila, where scorching temperatures worsened their plight.

Asylum seekers in Tawila affirm that the displacement journeys are unsafe, with vulnerable refugees at risk of being robbed by armed gangs. Those reaching Tawila considered themselves lucky to have avoided such attacks.

Sudanese human rights activist Adam Idris told Asharq Al-Awsat that indiscriminate shelling in El Fashir claimed hundreds of lives, forcing many to flee to Tawila and areas controlled by the Sudan Liberation Movement.

Idris noted that some displaced persons died en route due to hunger and thirst, urging humanitarian organizations to swiftly provide aid in the town.

In a related development, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) reported on Tuesday that over 402,000 Sudanese refugees are now registered in Egypt, with more expected in the coming months.

In a statement, UNHCR noted that over 38,000 Sudanese refugees arrived in Egypt in May alone. Libya and Uganda have recently joined the Regional Refugee Response Plan, along with the Central African Republic, Chad, Egypt, Ethiopia, and South Sudan.

UNHCR emphasized that only 19% of the needed funds for refugee assistance have been received so far, insufficient to meet the urgent needs of displaced people.

In Libya, more than 20,000 Sudanese refugees have arrived since April, with many settling in the eastern regions.

Uganda, hosting the largest number of refugees in Africa, has received over 39,000 Sudanese refugees since the conflict began, including 27,000 this year. This number is nearly three times higher than anticipated.

After 14 months of conflict, thousands continue to flee Sudan due to violence, violations, death, disrupted services, and limited humanitarian aid access, with the threat of famine looming.