Libyan capital united

This item appears on page 5 of the August 2020 issue.

The UN-recognized government of Libya, the Government of National Accord (GNA), regained complete control of the capital city, Tripoli, on June 4, 14 months after a rebel force, the Libyan National Army (LNA), had taken over the eastern portion of the city.

Led by Khalifa Haftar, a former general under Muammar Gaddafi, the LNA is the armed forces of the House of Representatives, the formerly UN-recognized government that still controls most of the northeastern parts of the country. Haftar represents the House of Representatives, which receives economic and material support from Russia, Egypt and the UAE.

The GNA controls much of the northwest with support from the UN, while various tribal and rebel groups as well as remnants of Daesh (ISIL) control portions of the country’s south. Both the GNA and LNA fight against Daesh.