Libya: Division over new chief of staff

The Libyan Parliament appointed on Sunday Colonel Abdul Razzaq Nazuri as the new chief of staff replacing Major-General Abdussalam Jadallah Obeidi.

Nazuri who won 88 votes beating five rivals to the post is known for his support for Operation Dignity, led by retired renegade General Khalifa Haftar.

In the first reactions to Nazuri’s appointment, several military Generals affiliated to the Joint Chiefs of Staff announced their rejection of the Parliament’s appointment of Nazuri declaring that “they refuse to work under the command of an officer who supports Operation Dignity, and that they will only recognize General al-Obeidi as chief of staff”.

The Generals announced in their statement that “the military zone of Tobruk, and the surrounding areas are outside the Joint Chiefs of Staff jurisdiction”. The Generals stressed that they oppose Operation Dignity, warning those who support the operation at home and abroad that they will be prosecuted and held to legal accountability.

The statement called on the Libyan armed forces to address what it described as acts of “treachery and treason to the 17 February revolution”.

Meanwhile, a fire broke out in the premises of Tripoli International Airport and the passenger terminal, as a result of clashes between the Fajr Libya forces and militias of Sawaeq, Qaqaa and Madani, according to a spokesman of Fajr Libya, Ahmad Hadiya.