Libya: Haftar’s LNA declares UN Envoy enemy

The Libyan National Army (LNA), led by Eastern Libya strongman Khalifa Haftar, has called the UN Special envoy to the North African country an enemy after the UN official bashed the army’s deadly actions in Southern Libya.

A spokesman of the LNA, which is controlling the eastern part of the country, Wednesday said Ghassan Salame has turned himself as part of the Libyan crisis, Reuters reports.
“The fact is that Salame has turned into an opponent … and has become part of the Libyan crisis,” said Ahmed Mismari in Benghazi.

“Ghassan Salame should remember that this is a holy national duty and we will not leave Libya to be like Lebanon, a country of militias and multiple authorities,” he added, Reuters said.

The fallout came after Salame who is from Lebanon blasted the LNA’s last week raid in Southern Libya which the army said was meant to flash out terrorist groups sowing havoc in that part of the oil-rich African country.

Mismari also laid into Salame, saying that he was surrounded by “graduates” of Tora Bora, the Afghan mountain hideout once used by the late al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, Reuters notes.

Haftar has criticized UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) based in Tripoli for housing terror groups as well as Muslim Brothers.

Salame has been seeking the military commander’s endorsement for national elections.