Libya General Haftar Ready to Sign Ceasefire: French Presidency

Libyan National Army eastern military leader General Khalifa Haftar told France’s president Monday he will sign a ceasefire and stick to it if militias backed by the internationally recognized government respect it.

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“Marshal Haftar assured (us) that he was committed to signing the ceasefire but this commitment would cease if the militias do not respect it,” a French presidency official said after Haftar met President Emmanuel Macron in Paris.

The official said there were no plans for Macron to meet or speak to the head of the Tripoli government, Fayez Seraj, and gave no further details with regards to the meeting.

This comes as violence continues to grip the North African nation despite numerous attempts to hold a ceasefire. 

On Jan. 19, in a Germany-led peace summit all countries with interests in the conflict - as well as the two warring sides - agreed to respect the disregarded international arms embargo on the North African nation.

The LNA, which is backed by Egypt, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), France and Russia, has been fighting off an 11-month-long offensive over the capital, which is the last stronghold of the U.N.-recognized Government of National Accord (GNA) of premier Fayez al Sarraj, who is backed by Turkey, Qatar, and Italy.

As part of the international measures to deescalate the conflict, the European Union foreign affairs ministers agreed to launch a new operation in the Mediterranean to enforce a United Nations arms embargo on Libya.

However, several countries backing rival factions in Libya have violated an arms embargo, according to the United Nations, which has previously named the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, and Turkey for breaching the embargo.

Back on Feb. 19 U.N.-led ceasefire negotiations fell as the Tripoli government left the ceasefire talks after the LNA hit Tripoli’s port allegedly targeting a Turkish ship bringing in arms.