Libya: GNA considers boycotting countries supporting Haftar, focusing on Egypt and UAE

At any time, the UN Security Council is scheduled to hold an emergency session, today, Monday, in response to a request submitted by the Libyan Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the Libyan Government of National Accord (GNA).

Senior officials in Tripoli, such as the Chairman of the High Council  Khalid Al-Mishri, the Minister of Interior of the GNA, Fathi Fathi Bashagha, and several politicians have urged “the necessity of boycotting countries supporting Haftar’s aggression against Tripoli, especially Egypt and the UAE.”

The hash-tags “UAE is killing the Libyans” and the “Military College Massacre” went popular on social media platforms, as several politicians have also participated in circulating them, which has been perceived by Libyan political analyst Said Al-Jawashi as one of the most pressing factors on the government to change its policy toward the international community’s response to the repercussions of the offensive against Tripoli. ”

Al-Jawashi indicated that he does not expect any new position from the UN Security Council, which is witnessing an internal division due to the supportive stance of some of its permanent member states towards Haftar’s war on Tripoli. However, at the same time, he believed that informing the European delegation of the necessity of postponing its visit to Libya “has greater effectiveness.”

READ: Haftar forces bomb kills 30, injures 33

While talking to The New Arab earlier, experts in Libyan affairs had confirmed that the attack carried out by aircraft supporting the forces of Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar against the Military College in Tripoli, in which 30 students were killed and 34 others injured, would affect the way the government deals with developments in the political situation.

Josep Borrell as High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy has informed the GNA’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mohamed Siala, by telephone early last week that he intends to visit Tripoli to meet government leaders with the ministers of France, Britain, Germany and Italy, who will be holding a meeting in Brussels, on Monday, in preparation for the scheduled visit.

Informed sources suggested earlier that the European delegation would be carrying messages to the GNA about the necessity to stop the implementation of its agreement with the Turkish government to hinder the latter’s intention to send troops to Libya. Meanwhile, the Turkish parliament’s approval of the presidential decision regarding sending Turkish forces to Libya reduced the European delegation’s chances to visit Libya.

READ: Libyan commander Haftar’s forces say they have taken Sirte

Al-Jawashi explained to The New Arab that informing the European delegation of postponing the visit will have an impact. Indeed, by making this move, the GNA will be able to convey a message about the Libyan insistence to continue implementing its agreement with Turkey.

Well-informed sources confirmed to The New Arab that Prime Minister Fayez Al-Sarraj would make an urgent visit, accompanied by his foreign minister, to Algeria today. This visit will complement the government’s implicit uneasiness about the way the European Union is dealing with the country’s crisis, according to Al-Jawashi.

Despite its clear rejection of Haftar’s offensive against the capital, Tripoli, and considering it a cause of faltering the political settlement, the GNA and the Turkish government are expressing their keenness to a stronger and more intensive Algerian involvement in the Libyan file, in accordance with the recent developments regarding the security and maritime agreements signed between the GNA and Ankara.

The Libyan researcher in international relations, Mustafa Al-Barq, indicated that Algeria is rejecting Haftar’s project. However, at the same time, the Algerian authorities do not want to get closer to the agreements signed between Tripoli and Ankara, as some of the accords are related to the issue of distant water borders from the Algerian territory.

Last Thursday, Algerian Foreign Minister Sabri Bokadoum announced his country’s intention to launch “initiatives towards a peaceful solution to the Libyan crisis, which includes the Libyan parties only.”