Ali Murat Alhas
January 28, 2020•Update: January 29, 2020
ANKARA
Renegade Libyan commander Khalifa Haftar targets civilians indiscriminately and favors war over peace in war-weary country, Turkish foreign minister said on Tuesday.
“Coup plotter Haftar continues to attack civilians indiscriminately, including children,” Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Twitter.
He added: “This last attack is yet another proof that he is on the side of war, not peace. No place for warlords bombing their people in #Libya’s future!”
The remarks of Cavusoglu came after Haftar forces' shelling of a school compound, killing two children, which is a violation of the outcome reached in the Berlin Conference that called for a permanent cease-fire in the country.
Since the ouster of late ruler Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, two seats of power have emerged in Libya: Haftar in eastern Libya, supported mainly by Egypt and the UAE, and the GNA in Tripoli, which enjoys the UN and international recognition.
Libya’s legitimate government had been under attack by Haftar since last April, claiming the lives of more than 1,000 people.
On Jan. 12, the conflict parties announced a cease-fire in response to a joint call by the Turkish and Russian leaders. But talks for a permanent cease-fire deal ended without an agreement after Haftar left Moscow on Jan. 14 without signing the deal.
On Jan. 19, Haftar accepted at the Berlin conference on Libya to designate members to a UN-proposed military commission with five members from each side to monitor implementation of the cease-fire.
The decision to set up the Libyan military committee with five representatives from each side was the key result of the conference.
