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Libya’s Haftar cuts diplomatic ties with Qatar

June 5, 2017 at 3:01 pm

Image of Libyan military chief Khalifa Haftar [Libyan Gazette/Facebook]

Libya’s eastern-based government has followed regional allies in cutting diplomatic ties with Qatar, its foreign minister, Mohamed Dayri, said today.

It blamed Qatar for funding groups that have contributed to Libya’s current divisions. Qatar denounces accusations that it supports militants as lies.

The Libyan move is largely symbolic because the government, which sits in the eastern city of Bayda, has little authority within Libya and is not recognised internationally.

Read: 4 Gulf countries sever diplomatic ties with Qatar

The Bayda government is aligned with an eastern-based parliament and powerful military commander Khalifa Haftar.

A spokesman for the eastern parliament, Abdallah Bilhaq, said the chamber was also cutting ties with Qatar.

The announcement came after Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Yemen, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain severed ties with Qatar, accusing it of supporting terrorism.

Egypt and the UAE are considered key supporters of Haftar.