Libya’s Haftar Threatens to Wage ‘Decisive’ War if Peace Efforts Fail

Guests are seen at the Turkish embassy celebration marking the 99th anniversary of the establishment of the Turkish republic. (High Council of State)
Guests are seen at the Turkish embassy celebration marking the 99th anniversary of the establishment of the Turkish republic. (High Council of State)
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Libya’s Haftar Threatens to Wage ‘Decisive’ War if Peace Efforts Fail

Guests are seen at the Turkish embassy celebration marking the 99th anniversary of the establishment of the Turkish republic. (High Council of State)
Guests are seen at the Turkish embassy celebration marking the 99th anniversary of the establishment of the Turkish republic. (High Council of State)

Libyan National Army (LNA) commander Khalifa Haftar issued a fresh warning to Türkiye on Tuesday, threatening to wage a “decisive war to liberate the country” from its military presence and allied mercenaries.

Speaking from the city of al-Jufra, he said: “All peaceful efforts aimed at leading to the withdrawal of the occupiers have failed. We have no choice but to wage a decisive battle, no matter the cost and time, without hesitation and with all our might.”

He accused Türkiye of seeking war when it deployed its forces and mercenaries, eager to loot Libya’s wealth and resources and strike “shameful deals with parties that have sold their honor.”

“We are not warmongers, but we seek peace and cooperation with peoples and ties based on respect, good intentions and mutual interests,” declared Haftar.

Al-Jufra, he noted, boasts an honorable history in fighting colonizers, citing its resistance of Ottoman rule.

“We will wage this battle with all of our might … the whole of Libya is a red line before such colonial ambitions,” he said.

“We will not allow Libya to be an open ground for colonial powers that are seeking to tackle their own crises by claiming the wealth of the Libyan people,” he went on to say.

“All previous paths have led us to a dead-end. We can only rely on ourselves in freely determining our fate,” he added, while still acknowledging all local and international peace efforts.

Haftar urged Libyans to shun foreign dictates and determine their own fate

In spite of his escalatory rhetoric, the LNA chief said: “It is our duty to facilitate the work of United Nations envoy Abdoulaye Bathily if we sense seriousness, dedication, transparency, frankness and complete respect to the interests of the Libyan people and resistance to outside pressure.”

Meanwhile, the Turkish embassy in Tripoli held a celebration to mark the 99th anniversary of the establishment of the Turkish republic.

The event was attended by commander of Turkish forces in Libya’s western region, Osman Aytac, head of the High Council of State Khaled al-Mishri, and government and military officials.



Hemedti Issues Strict Orders to his Forces to Protect Sudanese People

 People collect clean water provided by a charity organization to people in Gedaref in eastern Sudan on August 30, 2024. (AFP)
People collect clean water provided by a charity organization to people in Gedaref in eastern Sudan on August 30, 2024. (AFP)
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Hemedti Issues Strict Orders to his Forces to Protect Sudanese People

 People collect clean water provided by a charity organization to people in Gedaref in eastern Sudan on August 30, 2024. (AFP)
People collect clean water provided by a charity organization to people in Gedaref in eastern Sudan on August 30, 2024. (AFP)

Commander of Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) Mohammed Hamdan Daglo, also known as Hemedti, issued on Saturday strict orders to his forces to protect civilians and ensure the delivery of humanitarian aid in line with the commitments his delegation made at the recent peace talks in Geneva.

In a post on the X platform, he said he issued an “extraordinary administrative order to all the forces” to protect civilians and facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid.

He called on all commanders to abide by the orders in line with international humanitarian law. Any violators will be held accountable.

The RSF has been accused of widespread violations against civilians in areas under their control. They have also been accused of committing massacres in Gezira state in central Sudan. The RSF have denied the accusations.

Hemedti announced in August the formation of a “civilian protection force” that immediately assumed its duties in the Khartoum and Gezira states.

According to head of the RSF delegation to the Geneva talks, Omar Hamdan, the force is formed of 27 combat vehicles, backed by forces that have experience in cracking down on insubordination.

Hemedti stressed last week his commitment to all the outcomes of the Geneva talks, starting with ensuring the delivery of aid to those in need.

The RSF and army agreed to open two safe routes for the deliveries and to protect civilians to ease their suffering after nearly a year and a half of war.

The mediators in Geneva received commitments from the RSF that it would order the fighters against committing any violations against civilians in areas under their control.

Meanwhile, aid deliveries continued through the Adre border crossing with Chad. They are headed to people in Darfur in western Sudan.

Fifty-nine aid trucks carrying aid supplies crossed from Chad to Darfur, said the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs on Saturday.

“The supplies are estimated to reach nearly 195,000 people in acute need in different parts of the country,” it added.

“About 128 aid trucks carrying supplies for an estimated 355,000 people are being prepared to cross into Sudan in the coming days and weeks to ensure a steady flow of supplies. Despite the surge of supplies through Adre, humanitarian partners have warned that ongoing rains and floods have damaged three major bridges in the region, limiting movements within Darfur,” it revealed.

“While progress has been made on the Adre border crossing, funding resources are depleting, and humanitarian funding is urgently required to sustain the supplies chain,” it urged.