Libyan strongman General Haftar preferred not to sign the ceasefire agreement without discussing it with tribes. As Reuters reported, the LNA leader’s visit to Moscow wasn’t so productive as Libya’s UN-recognised government (GNA) anticipated.
Libya’s Khalifa Haftar agreed to a ceasefire but haven’t signed the document so far. The strongman has left Moscow without signing a ceasefire agreement to end nine months of fighting in the country.
This week, General Haftar asked for more time to look over the agreement already signed by Fayez al-Sarraj, the head of GNA. despite the peace efforts made by Ankara and Moscow, he left the Russian capital without signing, said Russia’s foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova on Tuesday.
“The commander of the Libyan National Army (LNA), Marshal Khalifa Haftar, welcomed the final [cease-fire] statement, but is taking two days to discuss the document with the leaders of the LNA-supporting tribes before signing it,” Russia’s Defense Ministry said in a statement.
On Monday, the two delegations spent seven hours trying to sign a deal outlining the terms of a permanent truce in Libya, following a ceasefire that took effect over the weekend.
Mediated by Russian and Turkish foreign and defence ministers, the talks did not include the warring sides meeting face to face, but Moscow said there was “progress” and that Haftar viewed the ceasefire document “positively”.
Meanwhile, Gen Haftar’s plane departed Russia after a failure to reach a permanent agreement, leaving uncertainty over the fragile truce. Over years, Libyan people are looking forward to some positive dynamics in the peace effort led by Russia and Turkey.
Meanwhile, Libya following years of turbulence since a 2011 NATO-backed uprising killed the dictator Muammar Gaddafi.
