Haftars Forces, GNA Exchange Accusations on Tripoli Ceasefire Violation

  • 8/11/2019
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The Libyan National Army (LNA) led by Khalifa Haftar and the Government of National Accord, which is headed by Fayez al-Sarraj, exchanged accusations on Sunday on the violation of a ceasefire in the capital, Tripoli. The GNA said Saturday that it has accepted a ceasefire proposed by the UN aimed at halting combat in Tripoli, during the Eid al-Adha. But Haftar’s army said Sunday that forces loyal to Sarraj’s government carried out a random shelling in violation of the truth. The GNA snapped back, accusing the LNA of advancing on a front near Tripoli. Militias allied with the GNA have been fighting since April against a military offensive to take the capital by the LNA. Meanwhile, Humanitarian group Open Arms said it has asked Italy to help evacuate three migrants for health reasons out of the 160 passengers on board its rescue ship while the captain seeks authorization to enter a port. The three "require specialized medical attention,” it said. "We are waiting for confirmation from Italian authorities" since Italy had "the nearest safe port." The organizations eponymous rescue ship, the Open Arms, rescued 123 migrants, who had left Libya, in the central Mediterranean Sea on Aug. 2. The Italian coast guard removed two pregnant women a day later, but the other passengers have remained at sea. The ships crew picked up another 39 migrants on Saturday. The government of Malta said it would take them because the rescue happened in its search-and-rescue area. The aid groups founder declined the offer, saying a safe port needed to be found for all the rescued passengers. Doctors Without Borders (MSF) also said a ship it operates in the Mediterranean Sea with another humanitarian group, SOS Mediterranee, has rescued dozens of migrants for a third straight day and now has a total of 251 on board. MSF tweeted that the Norwegian-flagged Ocean Viking picked up 81 people Sunday from an unseaworthy rubber dinghy in international waters off Libya, where many migrant smugglers are based.

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