Haftar's FM's press conference postponed in Tunis
Tunis, Tunisia (PANA) - A press conference, scheduled for Saturday in Tunis by Abdelhadi Lahouij, the foreign affairs and international cooperation minister of Marshal Khalifa Haftar, was postponed at the last minute.
A statement issued to the press announcing the postponement said the development was due "to developments in Libya and to the positive evolution of events", without further details.
The statement added that journalists will be informed of a new date for the press conference.
Contacted by telephone, the spokesperson for the Tunisian interior minister, Sofiane Zaag, said that the authorities had not banned the holding of this press conference, suggesting that an authorisation had not been requested previously by the organisers as required by Tunisian law.
The Tunisian foreign affairs minister denied that he had any contact with the Libyan provisional government over the press conference in Tunis. "Any foreign party wishing to organise an activity in Tunisia must coordinate with the foreign affairs minister to have the necessary authorisation and secure this activity with the assistance of the interior minister and the various parties concerned," Tunisian authorities said.
Tunisia is officially working to maintain a neutral position between the warring parties in Libya. For example, the Tunisian foreign affairs minister, Khemaïs Jhinaoui, has intensified, in recent days, contacts with the UN Envoy in Libya, Ghassan Salamé, and the various Libyan parties calling them to cease hostilities and to resume negotiations to find a solution to the Libyan crisis.
The forces of Marshal Haftar launched an offensive on 4 April aimed at "freeing" the Libyan capital, Tripoli, from militias.
Violent clashes have been ongoing between Haftar's national army and the forces of the government of national accord based in Tripoli, chaired by Fayez Al-Sarraj, and recognized by the international community.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the fighting has so far resulted in more than 200 people killed and about a thousand others wounded.
According to the Tunisian foreign affairs minister, Tunis intends to hold a meeting between the heads of diplomacy of Libya's three neighbouring countries - Tunisia, Algeria and Egypt - with the aim of "coordinating the efforts of the three parties to alleviate tension in Libya and to encourage negotiations "between the Libyan protagonists".
-0- PANA BB/IS/BBA/VAO 20April2019
