Western states are hoping the unity government will be able to make
Libya’s armed factions work together against the ultra-hardline ISIS
militant group. (File photo: AP)
Reuters, Tripoli
Friday, 29 April 2016
Libya’s UN-backed unity government called on Thursday on military
factions to hold off from any campaign against the ISIS-controlled city
of Sirte until a unified military command structure is created.
The
statement came amid signs that factions from both eastern and western
Libya could be gearing up for an advance on Sirte, although such
operations have repeatedly been announced in recent months without
taking place.
ISIS has held Sirte since
2015, taking advantage of a conflict between loose alliances of armed
brigades allied to Libya’s rival governments to seize a 250km strip of
coastline around the central Mediterranean city, which lies between the
eastern and western power bases.
Western
states are hoping the unity government, which arrived in Tripoli last
month, will be able to make Libya’s armed factions work together against
the ultra-hardline militant group, and have said they are ready to
provide training for Libyan forces if requested by the unity government.
The United States has already conducted air strikes against ISIS militants in Libya.
The
unity government’s leadership, or Presidential Council, said on
Thursday it welcomed the “push by various factions and armed forces to
fight ISIS forces in Sirte”, but warned that an uncoordinated offensive
could lead to civil war.
“In the absence
of coordination and unified leadership ... the Council expresses its
concern that the battle in Sirte against Daesh (ISIS) will be a
confrontation between those armed forces,” it said in a statement,
adding such a conflict would likely benefit ISIS.
“Accordingly,
the Presidential Council, as the supreme commander of army, demands all
Libyan military forces wait for it to appoint a joint leadership for
the Sirte operation,” the statement said.
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