By Sami Zaptia.
London, 9 September 2019:
Libya’s internationally recognized government led by Faiez Serraj strongly condemned on Saturday (7 September) the UAE for supporting the Khalifa Hafter-led Libyan National Army (LNA) and its attack on Tripoli. It is the first time that the Serraj administration has mentioned the UAE by name.
However, since the launch of the attack by Khalifa Hafter and his LNA on Tripoli on 4 April this year, the Serraj government has referred to Egypt and the UAE indirectly as supporters, backers and perpetuators of the fighting over Tripoli.
The condemnation was provoked by Ahmed Mesmari, the Official Spokesperson of the LNA, holding a press conference in Abu Dhabi on Saturday.
The Serraj Presidency Council said in its statement that it condemned the UAE’s aggressive position for allowing Mesmari to use Abu Dhabi ‘‘as a media platform’’ for the LNA’s aggressive ‘‘militias’’ on Tripoli and its suburbs.
The Presidency Council said that Mesmari used the Abu Dhabi press conference make threatening, inciting, blood-spilling statements against Libyans. It viewed this act as an act of support for the killing of Libyans and a signal for the LNA to continue to infringe war crimes. It also sees this act of support for the LNA as support for a coup against the legitimate Libyan government and as an infringement of UN Security Council resolutions.
The internationally recognized Libyan government also say the UAE’s support for Hafter’s LNA and its attack on Tripoli is UAE support for military rule and a rejection of civilian and democratic rule. It saw the presentation by Mesmari of a press statement in his military uniform in a foreign state as an infringement of Libya’s sovereignty.
The Presidency Council said that it had hoped that after the LNA’s failure after more than five months of its military operation the UAE would have reassessed its position of support for the LNA.
