Libya’s “Prime Minister” Calls On UN To Ease Arms Embargo

On December 1, Fayez Sarraj the prime minister of the Libyan Government of National Accord (GNA) said before meeting with US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis in Washington that he hopes the UN will partially lift the arms embargo from some branches of the “Libyan Army”, according to Reuters agency.

“We hope that this embargo will be partially ended at least against some of the military branches such as the presidential guard and the coast guard,” Sarraj told reporters according to Reuters.

During his visit to the US Sarraj met with the US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson to discuss the current political situation in Libya. The GNA leader is also set to meet with US president Donald Trump according to Reuters.

The GNA controls less than 30% of Libya, and its dominated by the Muslim Brotherhood, a group that’s considered a terrorist organization in many Arab countries. Moreover, several radical militant groups in Libya have public relations with the GNA, like the infamous Shura Council of Mujahideen in Derna.

Meanwhile, the UAE and Egypt, the main foreign players in Libya, are now supporting the moderate Libyan House of Representatives and the Libyan National Army (LNA) led by Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar. The LNA controls more than 50% of Libya, and it is the only force in the country that didn’t ally itself to radical Islamic groups. Due to this many Libyan criticize the US for supporting the GNA over the LNA.