Arrest warrants issued for Haftar, three commanders in Libya
Khalifa Haftar and three other retired commanders accused of commanding a Russian group that carried out kidnappings and murders on September 24.
If Khalifa Haftar, the military commander who dominates eastern Libya, does not attend the Palermo talks under Italian political sponsorship, the summit could be reduced to an insignificant level. He arrives to attend an international conference on Libya at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France on May 29, 2018.
A Libyan military prosecutor on Tuesday ordered the arrest of warlord Khalifa Haftar and three other retired commanders.
According to a statement by the military chief prosecutor’s office, Haftar and three retired commanders were accused of commanding a Russian group that carried out kidnappings and murders on September 24.
Haftar’s forces launched a campaign in April to capture Tripoli from Libya’s internationally recognised Government of National Accord (GNA).
Clashes between the two sides since then have left more than 1,000 people dead and around 5,500 wounded, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
The oil-rich country has remained beset by turmoil since 2011, when longtime ruler Muammar Gaddafi was ousted and killed in a NATO-backed uprising after four decades in power.
Libya has since seen the emergence of two rival seats of power: one in eastern Libya, with which Haftar is affiliated, and the Tripoli-based GNA, which enjoys UN recognition.
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