Spokesman of the Libyan National Army (LNA), Major General Ahmed Al-Mismari, confirmed that the outgoing Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh’s clinging to power threatens of returning the language of war in Libya, warning against the situation becoming unsettled as a result of attempts of some parties – he did not name – to transfer regional conflicts to Libya.
Al-Mismari said in exclusive statements to Al-Bayan newspaper that LNA is trying as much as possible to maintain the ceasefire despite the blockage facing the 5+5 Joint Military Committee (JMC).
He stressed that LNA is monitoring the situation in general and does not allow security chaos, and decisions are issued in a timely manner.
Al-Mismari called not to tamper with the achievements of JMC that led the country to a ceasefire, explaining that the situation in Libya is a very dangerous, with the militias continuing to loot public money at the behest of Dbeibeh, which may lead to dangerous slips with ominous consequences.
He pointed out that the real crisis in Libya is not political as much as it is security, as the criminal militias concentrated in western Libya, which control all institutions, do not want to lose what they believe are gains by benefiting from “Dbeibeh’s generosity” with them by deliberately wasting public money and harnessing it for their interests, exploiting oil revenues in the wrong way, in a scandalous form of corruption, supporting them with money and high positions, especially in the diplomatic corps.
He added that Dbeibeh is empowering the militias to respond to parliament’s decisions, as his decisions are now dependent on the will of an outlaw gang.
Al-Mismari continued: “Western Libya is likely to explode at any moment in light of the illegal gun control in Tripoli,”
LNA Spokesman also stressed that the control of terrorist groups over the political decision and the political deterioration in the country affects the work of LNA forces in its war on terrorism, especially since the situation in southwestern Libya is dependent on gangs and militias that do not want to end control over financial and power centers in the capital, Tripoli.
He explained that the presence of militias and mercenaries in the Libyan territories threatens peace, security and the outcomes of the political dialogue, warning against the possibility of using them to carry out a military escalation.
Al-Mismari stressed the need to respond to the aspirations of the Libyans in embodying the entitlements, noting that the elections faced many local and international obstacles, and that international cross-interests in Libya certainly constitutes a large part of the “force majeure” that had been announced by the Libyan High National Elections Commission (HNEC).
Al-Mismari concluded: “The delay in organizing the elections is mainly due to the conflict of interests; Foreign parties are striving to preserve the gains they have achieved as a result of their support from political and militia parties, as well as to preserve their local agent that enabled them to reach these interests.”