BREAKING NEWS: Marshall Haftar annouces ceasefire in Libya war

Tripoli, Libya (PANA) - Major General Ahmed Mesmari, spokesman for the general command of the Libyan National Army, led by Marshal Khalifa Haftar, announced on Saturday evening the observance of a ceasefire by the command post of the western region of the country from 00:00 hours on January 12, 2020, on condition that it will also be strictly respected by the opposing party at the same time. He warned that any violation of the truce will attract severe response. It is recalled that the southern and eastern outskirts of Tripoli have been experiencing violent clashes since 4 April 2019 following the military offensive launched by Haftar to take control of Tripoli and the entire western region and to overthrow the Government of National Accord chaired by Fayez al-Sarraj which is recognized by the international community. The ceasefire follows numerous diplomatic rounds in various capitals in recent weeks, in an attempt to achieve a ceasefire between the Haftar and the Al-Sarraj camps to advance the Berlin process, to resume the political process and to find a solution to the Libyan crisis. These diplomatic efforts were crowned by the initiative launched Wednesday in Istanbul by Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, calling on the Libyan opposing parties to a ceasefire from the night between Saturday and Sunday, January 12. The Haftar camp is notably supported by Russia, while Turkey supports the Al-Sarraj camp especially after the signing by Tripoli and Ankara of two agreements, the first on the delimitation of maritime zones and the second on security and military cooperation committing Turkey to send troops to Libya to support the forces of the government of national accord against the Haftar forces. Meanwhile, the Presidential Council of the Government of National Accord has welcomed the development, assuring support from his party for the measure likely to promote the resumption of the political process in this North African country. The Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNMIL), Ghassan Salame; also welcomed recent calls for a ceasefire in Libya from a number of countries and international and regional organisations, the most recent of which was the joint appeal made on Wednesday by the Presidents of Turkey and Russia, urging the international community, in particular, the countries concerned by the Libyan crisis, to seize the current momentum and move the Berlin process forward in order to reach an international consensus. Mr Salame also considered that the success of the Berlin process will ensure an international framework to provide support and protection to the three-track intra-Libyan process launched by UNMIL and aimed at addressing the Libyan crisis in all its aspects, economic and financial, military, security and political. The Berlin International Conference on Libya aims to declare a ceasefire, stop the flow of arms, stop foreign interference and resume the political process in Libya. -0- PANA AM/BEH/MTA/VAO12Jan2020