Militia Commander Acknowledges Turkey in Control of W. Libya

People are seen shopping at a market in the old city of Tripoli, Libya. (Reuters)
People are seen shopping at a market in the old city of Tripoli, Libya. (Reuters)
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Militia Commander Acknowledges Turkey in Control of W. Libya

People are seen shopping at a market in the old city of Tripoli, Libya. (Reuters)
People are seen shopping at a market in the old city of Tripoli, Libya. (Reuters)

Salah Badi, a Libyan militia leader, acknowledged that Turkey is effectively in control of western Libya.

Badi, commander of the al-Somoud Brigade that is loyal to the Tripoli-based transitional authority, said Saturday: “We used to control positions, while today we have been stripped of everything.”

“We control nothing and Turkey now controls everything, even foreign policy,” he added, revealing that he is barred from traveling.

Badi, who is wanted internationally for war crimes, said the 2019 war on Tripoli was actually part of a Russian-Turkish agreement that would see the defeat of the Libyan National Army (LNA), commanded by Khalifa Haftar.

He explained that the agreement stipulated that the LNA would be defeated militarily, while it would continue to wield political power.

Moreover, Badi said that holding elections in December is unviable.

Transparent elections cannot be held while foreign mercenaries are deployed in the country, he remarked.

He called for the withdrawal of the mercenaries and foreign forces.

Everything happening in Libya is connected to foreign meddling, he added, demanding that a probe be launched in all developments that have taken place since 2011, even saying he was prepared to appear in court to be held accountable for his actions.



Two Million Syrians Returned Home Since Assad's Fall, Says UN

Syrian migrants wait at the Cilvegozu border gate to cross into Syria, after Syrian rebels announced that they ousted Syria's Bashar al-Assad, in the Turkish town of Reyhanli in Hatay province, Türkiye, - Reuters
Syrian migrants wait at the Cilvegozu border gate to cross into Syria, after Syrian rebels announced that they ousted Syria's Bashar al-Assad, in the Turkish town of Reyhanli in Hatay province, Türkiye, - Reuters
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Two Million Syrians Returned Home Since Assad's Fall, Says UN

Syrian migrants wait at the Cilvegozu border gate to cross into Syria, after Syrian rebels announced that they ousted Syria's Bashar al-Assad, in the Turkish town of Reyhanli in Hatay province, Türkiye, - Reuters
Syrian migrants wait at the Cilvegozu border gate to cross into Syria, after Syrian rebels announced that they ousted Syria's Bashar al-Assad, in the Turkish town of Reyhanli in Hatay province, Türkiye, - Reuters

Over two million Syrians who had fled their homes during their country's war have returned since the ouster of Bashar al-Assad, UN refugee agency chief Filippo Grandi said Thursday, ahead of a visit to Syria.

The Syrian civil war, which erupted in 2011 with Assad's brutal repression of anti-government protests, displaced half of the population internally or abroad.

But Assad's December 8 ouster at the hands of Islamist forces sparked hopes of return.

"Over two million Syrian refugees and displaced have returned home since December," Grandi wrote on X during a visit to neighboring Lebanon, which hosts about 1.5 million Syrian refugees, according to official estimates, AFP reported.

It is "a sign of hope amid rising regional tensions," he said.

"This proves that we need political solutions -- not another wave of instability and displacement."

After 14 years of war, many returnees face the reality of finding their homes and property badly damaged or destroyed.

But with the recent lifting of Western sanctions on Syria, new authorities hope for international support to launch reconstruction, which the UN estimates could cost more than $400 billion.

Earlier this month, UNHCR estimated that up to 1.5 million Syrians from abroad and two million internally displaced persons may return by the end of 2025.