Libyan warlord Haftar rejects call for ceasefire

Warlord Khalifa Haftar, who commands an armed militia based in eastern Libya, rejected a truce Thursday encouraged by Russia and Turkey, according to militia spokesman Ahmed al Mismari.

“We welcome [Russian President Vladimir] Putin’s call for a ceasefire. However, our fight against terrorist organisations that seized Tripoli and received the support of some countries will continue until the end,” Mismari said on a video posted to social media.

On Wednesday, Turkish and Russian presidents urged a ceasefire in Libya by January 12 following a meeting in Istanbul.

The UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) in Tripoli welcomed the call for the ceasefire.

On April 4, Haftar launched an offensive to capture the capital Tripoli from GNA. According to the UN, over a thousand people have been killed since the start of the operation and more than 5,000 people have been injured.

Since the ouster of late leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, two seats of power have emerged in Libya: one in eastern Libya supported mainly by Egypt and the United Arab Emirates and the other in Tripoli, which is recognised internationally and by the UN.