The Libyan Army has pledged its commitment to a cease-fire in the war-torn country despite recent reports of violations by the forces of putschist Gen. Khalifa Haftar.
The spokesperson of the Libyan Army, Mohammed Qanunu, said on Tuesday that the army is still dedicated to the U.N.-led cease-fire process.
"However, Haftar missiles violated the cease-fire in Sirte for at least eight times and still continues to deploy mercenaries and build military camps," Qanunu warned, adding that those who commit war crimes against the Libyans should be in courts, not at negotiating tables.
The Libyan Army will not accept any peace offers that include Haftar, he further underlined.
Forces loyal to Haftar attacked the headquarters of the Libyan Army in Ubari on Sunday, leading to clashes between the two sides, the army said on the same day. Abdulhadi Dirah, a spokesperson for the Libyan Army's Sirte-Jufra Joint Operations Unit, told Anadolu Agency (AA) that Haftar militias attacked their Ali Kanna headquarters. "A small-scale clash broke out, yet they had to retreat," he said.
The attack on the military headquarters violated the October cease-fire between the U.N.-recognized Government of National Accord (GNA) based in Tripoli and forces loyal to its rival, Haftar. After a failed offensive on Tripoli launched by Haftar in April 2019, the two sides had returned to negotiations.
The warring sides agreed to a U.N.-brokered cease-fire in Geneva, a deal that included the departure of foreign forces and mercenaries from Libya within three months. Following the signing of the cease-fire, rival sides agreed to work on a mechanism to choose a transitional government that would lead the conflict-stricken country to national elections next year.
The 75-member forum last month reached an agreement to hold presidential and parliamentary elections on Dec. 24, 2021, as a result of the talks in Tunis. They also agreed to name a volunteer legal committee to work on the "constitutional basis for the election."
