Tripoli, May 2, 2019 (AFP) – Dozens of Libyan lawmakers supporting the internationally-recognised government on Thursday condemned an offensive by commander Khalifa Haftar on Tripoli, as they staged a meeting in the capital. The legislators have announced a boycott of the official parliament in the east of the country that is backed by Haftar to protest his military assault.
The fissure among lawmakers looks set to deepen rifts that have plagued the country since the ouster and killing of dictator Moamer Kadhafi in 2011. “We are meeting with our colleagues from different cities to highlight the devastating effects of the unjustified war against the capital and to take a stand to end the fighting,” said one of the deputies Sadeq al-Keheli. “We will continue these meetings until all the military actions and the threat against Tripoli stop.”
Lawmaker Salem Ganan said the offensive launched on April 4 caught those in parliament by surprise as they prepared for a UN-backed national conference that has now been postponed. Weeks of clashes around Tripoli between Haftar’s forces and those supporting the unity government have left 376 dead and over 1,800 wounded, the World Health Organization says.
