Libya’s High Council of State (HCS) has denounced the statements delivered by the Foreign Minister-designate of the UN-backed government, Mohammed Sayala, in which he described General Khalifa Haftar as “legitimate Marshal”.
Sayala had said, “All military factions must be gathered under Haftar’s command.”
In response, the HCS decried the words uttered by Sayala in a statement and said that they were unjustifiable, saying it had found it odd that he willingly shelved the forces of Al-Bunyan Al-Marsoos after they had lost over 700 martyrs as they uprooted ISIS radicals from Sirte, according to Libyaobserver.
It also stated, “It is strange that Sayala has given such an ornamented recognition to Haftar while the latter has not acknowledged the Libyan Political Agreement (LPA) yet.”
The statement added that Sayala didn’t put in his consideration the statements of Haftar’s forces spokesman who overtly urged for destabilizing Tripoli and undermining its security.
The HCS indicated,“Those statements go against the LPA texts and they constitute a threat to unity in the country as they would escalate tension and shake security across Libya.”
In the end, the HCS concluded its statement by urging the Presidential Council of the UN-backed government to clarify its position regarding Sayala’s hazardous statements that are at odds with the LPA, saying it should take the needed measures to ensure such statements won’t be voiced again.
The HCS known as the Supreme Council of State, is an advisory body for Libya formed under the terms of the the Libyan Political Agreement which was signed on 17 December 2015.
Since the Libyan Revolution that overthrew the long-time dictator 2011 Muammar Gaddafi, violence has spread in Libya among the different Libyan factions.
Two rival governments operate in Libya, with self-proclaimed authorities controlling the capital of Tripoli and adjacent western areas and an internationally recognized government, based in the eastern Libyan city of Tobruk.
Haftar is a military figure, backed by Tobruk government based in eastern Libya that refuses to recognize the U.N.-backed government, enjoys the support of several Arab nations, including Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, and Jordan, as well as western countries as France.
Moreover, a third government was formed known as the Government of National Accord(GNA) supported by many western countries. The government has so far failed to restore the country’s unity.
None of the governments has a complete dominance over Libya until now.
