Benghazi, Libya | AFP | Libya’s military strongman Khalifa Haftar has called on all Libyans to take up arms in response to a prospective military intervention from Turkey aimed at shoring up the UN-backed government in Tripoli. The beleaguered Tripoli government, headed by Fayez al-Sarraj, has been under sustained attack …
Read More »Turkey’s Erdogan visits Tunisia amid Libya tensions
Tunis, Tunisia | AFP | Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met his counterpart in Tunisia on Wednesday to discuss the conflict in neighbouring Libya, whose UN-recognised unity government has signed a military deal with Ankara. “We discussed ways to cooperate to reach a cease-fire in Libya and restart the political …
Read More »Why does Turkey seek a greater role in war-torn Libya?
Tripoli, Libya | AFP | Turkey’s parliament approved a security and military cooperation deal with Libya’s UN-recognised unity government based in Tripoli on Saturday. Oil-rich Libya has been mired in chaos since a NATO-backed uprising toppled and killed dictator Moamer Kadhafi eight years ago. The North African country has …
Read More »Rwanda welcomes first group of African refugees from Libya
Kigali, Rwanda | AFP | A group of 66 African refugees and asylum-seekers have arrived in Kigali from Libya, the UN said, the first in what could be thousands of people being helped to flee the conflict-torn country. The move follows a pledge by President Paul Kagame in 2017 to …
Read More »Air strike kills 42 in southern Libya town
Tripoli, Libya | AFP | At least 42 people were killed and dozens wounded in an air strike targeting a town hall meeting in southern Libya, a local official and the UN-recognised government said Monday, accusing forces of military strongman Khalifa Haftar. The Government of National Accord (GNA) said Sunday’s raid …
Read More »UN calls for Libya ceasefire as death toll climbs to 1,000
Tripoli, Libya | AFP | The UN Security Council called Friday for a ceasefire in Libya as the death toll from a three-month offensive on Tripoli reached 1,000, including scores killed in an air strike that hit a detention centre for migrants. The council condemned the late Tuesday attack on the …
Read More »Deadly air strike on Libya migrant centre sparks outrage
Tripoli, Libya | AFP | Outrage and calls for an independent probe mounted Wednesday as 44 migrants were killed in an air strike on a detention centre in Libya that the UN said could constitute a war crime. UN chief Antonio Guterres denounced the “horrendous” attack and demanded an independent investigation, …
Read More »Time for Tottenham to be brave to sustain Champions League success
Madrid, Spain | AFP | Mauricio Pochettino used to wince when his pressing game was compared with Jurgen Klopp’s but Tottenham and Liverpool share more than just a love of the chase in their recent fight to join Europe’s elite. With star players sold and the proceeds, largely, squandered, Pochettino …
Read More »Roads deadlier than guns in Libya
Tripoli, Libya | AFP | Roads in conflict-riddled Libya, where petrol is cheaper than mineral water, rank among the deadliest in the world. Disregard for traffic rules, a dilapidated infrastructure and cars that fail to meet safety standards combine to make road accidents in Libya more lethal than incidents involving …
Read More »Libya in chaos since 2011 overthrow of Kadhafi
Tripoli, Libya | AFP | Libya has been mired in chaos since the ouster and killing of dictator Moamer Kadhafi in 2011, with two rival authorities and a multitude of militias vying for control of the oil-rich country. Libyan strongman Khalifa Haftar on Thursday ordered his troops to “advance” on …
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