The spokesman of the Government of National Accord (GNA) forces, Colonel Pilot Mohammad Qanunu, announced that they would continue their military operations, until the liberation of all cities nationwide, thus disregarding the ceasefire agreement announced by Prime Minister Fayez Al-Sarraj.
In a tweet on his Twitter official account, Qanunu said, “We will never trust the announcement of a new ceasefire or truce, as we have seen many previous violations and breaches.”
The spokesman affirmed, “We are determined to continue military operations in order to legitimately defend ourselves, attack hotbeds of threat, and end the deployment of outlawed groups in the country.”
He stressed that they will continue to liberate all captured cities, address the injustice suffered by their residents, and re-establish the state authority.
The spokesman added: “The Libyan state – exclusively – has the right to make use of its resources, manage its wealth, export oil, and take a hard line against those who seek to starve the Libyan people, and plunder its natural resources.”
He noted that the government’s role is to harness the capabilities to end the brutal aggression, secure hospitals, schools and airports, and provide a safe environment to confront the COVID-19 pandemic.
Notably, PM Al-Sarraj announced on Friday an immediate ceasefire and the cessation of all hostilities against the Libyan National Army (LNA), that controls the east of the country.
In an official statement Al-Sarraj said that “achieving an effective ceasefire requires the demilitarisation of Sirte and Al-Jufrah.” He pointed out that “the final objective of this decision is to restore total sovereignty over Libyan soil, and to achieve the departure of foreign forces, and mercenaries.” In the same declaration, he called for parliamentary and presidential elections, to be held next March.