On Monday, Russia’s Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov, called for an immediate ceasefire in Libya, stressing that Moscow wanted the conflict to be resolved through dialogue.
His call for a ceasefire coincides with talks being held between the warring parties in Morocco’s coastal town of Bouznika, south of Rabat, in a bid to reach a political settlement.
The Libyan National Army (LNA), said on Sunday that it remains committed to the ceasefire that was announced last month. Speaking to Sky News Arabia on Sunday, LNA Spokesperson, Ahmed Al-Mismari pointed out that fighting has stopped since the 8th of June. He added that the Libyan factions are mainly focusing on negotiations.
However, Al-Mismari blamed the “other side”, referring to Government of National Accord (GNA) forces in Tripoli, for enhancing their military presence in Libya. He said that Turkey, which backs the GNA, seeks to control more ports and airports, and plans to transfer more mercenaries to Libya.
“The mercenaries who are transferred from Syria and other states are dangerous terrorist elements who are highly trained to fight in different areas,” he warned. Al-Mismari explained that the LNA has repeatedly warned that the “enemy will benefit from the ceasefire,” and that the international community has been disregarding such developments.
Concerning the talks in Morocco, Al-Mismari—though noting that the LNA’s leadership has not issued a statement—said that the LNA always backs peace and security in Libya.