East Libyan strongman Marshal Khalifa Haftar said on Monday that he had obtained the "people's mandate" to govern Libya, promising to continue his offensive against Tripoli. Supported by a parliament installed in eastern Libya, Marshal Haftar opposes the government of national unity (GNA) based in Tripoli and recognized by the UN.
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In a speech on the television channel Libya al-Hadath, his media arm, the marshal said Monday evening "accept the will of the people and their mandate", without specifying with which institution he had received the said "people's mandate".
He also did not indicate the political implications of this "mandate", including the role that would play the parliament in the east of the country and the parallel government appointed by this assembly elected in 2014.
His forces "will work to establish the conditions necessary for the construction of the permanent institutions of a civil state", he affirmed.
The marshal also announced "the end of the Skhirat agreement" signed in late 2015 in Morocco under the aegis of the UN, from which the GNA came. In 2017, the strongman from eastern Libya had already assured that the agreement had "expired".
Neither the parliament nor the GNA have so far commented on the marshal's announcement.
On April 23, Mr. Haftar asked the Libyans to choose an institution to entrust him with the mission of governing the country after, according to him, the Skhirat agreement. He then mentioned the establishment of a "constitutional declaration" supposed to govern the country.
Plunged into chaos since the fall of the regime of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, Libya is torn apart today by a power struggle between Mr. Haftar and the GNA.
Marshal Haftar has been trying since April 2019 to seize the capital Tripoli. The conflict has left hundreds of people dead and more than 200,000 displaced.