The presidential council headed by al-Sarraj has instructed the Misrata Counter-Terrorism Force, led by General Mohammed Al Zein, to enter the capital to forcefully impose a new ceasefire. During the night, a first convoy of 300 vehicles, pick-ups and armored vehicles, entered the capital, followed by another 300 vehicles, including tracked vehicles. They have settled around Mitiga international airport, 8 km east of the center of Tripoli, trying to reactivate the airport and ready to converge towards the south in case of need. Almost immediate the withdrawal of the Seventh Brigade of Tarhuna, from some areas of the south of the capital conquered yesterday and in the clashes of recent days that have caused the death of at least 47 people. The withdrawal also took place in the face of the pressure of the deterrence forces (Rada) which are headed by the government of national agreement (Una) in the area of al Khala and aWadi al Rabia, also in the southern part of the capital. The mandate given to the anti-terrorism force is that of "monitor the ceasefire areas, the disengagement south of Tripoli, and proceed to a transition of powers to control the territory to the regular military forces by September 30".
While the traditional media only since yesterday are dealing with the issue of clashes in Libya in France the government Emmanuel Macron and Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian aim to organize national elections in Libya by December 10.
So the French Foreign Ministry, "the situation is not simple, but if you wait for the ideal conditions for the elections, these will never be done. The longer you wait and the worse it is".
French diplomats think that the commitments made in Paris must be respected and believe in the mediation in Tripoli of Ghassan Salame, envoy of the UN. Also French foreigners argue that "there is a close and constant collaboration on Libya between the diplomacies of Paris and Rome. And this despite the theatrical releases of some ministers of the current Italian government. There is no leadership struggle between Italy and France there, much less at a time like this".
The La Stampa newspaper reports the opinion of two French university professors, experts on the Libyan dossier.
Jalel Harchaoui, a researcher and specialist from Libya, does not think the same way. "I do not think the two diplomats talk so much. Italy and France and also other foreign countries consider Libya as their playground". Harchaoui fails to accuse France of having unleashed the current clashes between militias in the Tripoli area by insisting on the organization of the elections, "but that attitude certainly made the atmosphere even more electric". Macron and Le Drian are moving forward, despite everything. Foreign Minister Le Drian visited the scene in July, meeting a flurry of interlocutors. "There are leaders of many militias - continues Harchaoui -, charactersreally not transparent, close to delinquency, who have had contact with French emissaries and especially with those of the United Arab Emirates, very close to Paris. This way they felt more important, becoming even more arrogant. They are some of those who have sparked the latest clashes ”. For the researcher, “the French, believing in that apparent tranquility, which prevailed for eighteen months in Tripoli. The situation, on the other hand, sooner or later degenerates both on the migratory front and on that of oil extraction, Italy, which is geographically in the front line and which, in the field of hydrocarbons, has a much stronger presence in the area through Eni than France with Total will lose more than France.".
Un another expert, very close to the Libyan dossier, and who wants to remain anonymous, underlines the privileged relationship of Paris with Haftar“Which he considers the only one capable of defeating Isis and more generally the Islamic fundamentalists in the country. If the French act as super partes in the affair, they are actually betting on the victory of a candidate close to Haftar in any elections ”. The same source criticizes “the top-down approach of the French, who want to negotiate with the alleged leaders and deal above all with someone like Haftar, who has an efficient army.
The Italians, on the other hand, have exploited a true knowledge of the land, also because, unlike the French, they have an open embassy. They went to see the representatives of the individual villages, making concessions and providing aid in a more or less transparent way".