Libyan General Khalifa Haftar’s forces, aligned with the parallel authorities in the east of the country, have denied supporting the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in their conflict with the Sudanese Army, which erupted on Saturday and has already left at least 270 people dead.
The spokesman of the Libyan National Army (LNA), Ahmed al Mismari, has indicated in a message that he »categorically rejects the reports of some paid media that the LNA is giving support to one side against the other», before advocating »unity, stability and cohesion» of Sudan, as reported by the news portal Alsaa24.
»The General Command of the Armed Forces stresses the importance of an immediate cessation of hostilities,» he said, while indicating that Haftar’s forces are maintaining »urgent contacts» with the parties. We are ready to play a mediation role with the Sudanese brothers to stop immediately the fighting and open the way for a dialogue», he concluded.
Al Mismari’s words came after the US newspaper ‘The Wall Street Journal’ indicated that Haftar has sent at least one plane with military supplies to the RSF and stressed that Egypt is supporting the Sudanese Army, something that has also been rejected by the Egyptian president, Abdelfatá al Sisi.
The army and the RSF agreed on Tuesday to a 24-hour humanitarian ceasefire, although it did not come into effect due to the continuation of the fighting, which led to an exchange of accusations about responsibility for what happened. The parties agreed again on Wednesday to a cease-fire that will remain in effect until 6 p.m. on Thursday, although the fighting has continued.
Hostilities erupted on Saturday amid rising tensions over the reform of the security apparatus and the integration of the paramilitary force – led by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, alias ‘Hemedti’, who is also vice president of the Sovereign Transitional Council – into the armed forces, a key part of an agreement signed in December to form a new civilian government and revive the transition.
The talks process kicked off with international mediation after the army chief and president of the Sovereign Transitional Council, Abdelfata al-Burhan, led a coup in October 2021 that ousted the then unity prime minister, Abdullah Hamdok, appointed to the post following civil-military contacts after the April 2019 uprising that ended 30 years of Omar Hassan al-Bashir’s regime.
Source: (EUROPA PRESS)
