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Libyan PM accuses France of backing ‘dictator’ Haftar
PARIS, April 24, 2019 (BSS/AFP) – Libyan Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj,
head of the internationally-recognised government in Tripoli, angrily
denounced France Wednesday for supporting rival Khalifa Haftar, underlining
the growing diplomatic tensions over fighting there.
Speaking to French dailies Liberation and Le Monde, Sarraj denounced Paris
for backing a “dictator” in his harshest criticism yet of French diplomacy.
France has long been suspected of offering backing to Haftar, a former
army field marshal based in eastern Libya, who heads the self-styled Libyan
National Army (LNA) and has gradually expanded his territorial control.
But on April 4, Haftar launched a drive towards Tripoli where Sarraj’s UN-
recognised government is based, triggering fighting that has claimed 264
deaths and left more than 1,200 wounded.
“We are surprised that France does not support our government that is
democratic, but supports a dictator,” Sarraj told the newspapers in comments
published in French on Wednesday.
“When (French president) Emmanuel Macron called me, I warned him that
public opinion was against France. We don’t want Libyans to hate France.
France still has a positive and important role to play,” he said.
In a separate interview with Le Monde on Monday, Sarraj said France was
partly to blame for Haftar’s offensive on Tripoli.
“The disproportional support from France towards Haftar is what made him
decide to take action and abandon the political process,” he said.
France denies supporting Haftar, saying it has contact with all the actors
in war-ravaged Libya where a complex mosaic of militias and political
factions are competing for advantage. – ‘A big shock’ –
France has long had contact with Haftar, who was invited to Paris alongside
Sarraj in 2017, in what was seen as an ambitious gamble by Macron shortly
after he was elected president.
That marked the beginning of Haftar’s appearance on the international
stage and last year, he was invited back to a conference of the various
factions in Paris which also helped legitimise him.
But his bold move on Tripoli three weeks ago has taken the international
community by surprise, raising questions about possible French “complicity” –
– an idea firmly dismissed by Paris.
“It was a big shock,” said a diplomatic source at the foreign ministry,
insisting France had “no prior knowledge” of the offensive.
Haftar’s campaign began barely two weeks after French Foreign Minister
Jean-Yves Le Drian met with him in the eastern city of Benghazi during a trip
on which Le Drian also met with Sarraj.
Michel Duclos, a former ambassador who advises the Paris-based think tank
Institut Montaigne, said the April offensive was a “shocking rejection” of
French support.
“In terms of image, this is a high stakes affair for French diplomacy. It
has given the impression in recent years of compromising with a dictator in
the making,” he wrote in a briefing note.
“This risky attitude could be justified if it facilitates a way of passing
on messages to Marshall Haftar which stop the fighting.”
Speaking in Paris, Le Drian urged both sides to “stick to the agreement”
reached in Abu Dhabi in February, referring to talks between Sarraj and
Haftar at which they agreed to work towards organising elections.
– Bulwark against Islamists? –
French diplomatic sources have previously raised concerns about Sarraj’s
apparent lack of influence and his alleged dependence on Islamist militias
and the Muslim Brotherhood group. He is backed by Qatar and Turkey, analysts
say.
Haftar is increasingly seen by his allies, which include Russia and Egypt,
as a bulwark against Islamists who gained a foothold after the 2011 uprising
that ousted dictator Moamer Kadhafi. Haftar won overt backing from US
President Donald Trump last week too.
The White House said Trump “recognised Field Marshal Haftar’s significant
role in fighting terrorism and securing Libya’s oil resources” during a phone
call between the two men.
That came a day after Russia and the United States opposed a British bid
at the UN Security Council, backed by France and Germany, to demand a
ceasefire in Libya.
BSS/AFP/RY/1705 hrs