EU foreign policy chief calls for truce in Libya

By Yusuf Hatip</p> <p>BRUSSELS (AA) – European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini called Wednesday for a halt to the fighting in Libya and a return to UN-backed policies.</p> <p> “Libya can count on EU unity in support of an immediate stop of fighting, humanitarian truce and return to @UN led political process, in interest of all Libyans,” the European External Action Service, the EU’s Foreign and Security Policy Service led by Mogherini, said on Twitter.</p> <p>Mogherini spoke earlier over the phone with Fayez al-Sarraj, chairman of the Presidential Council and prime minister of the UN-backed Government of National Accord.</p> <p>Forces led by Commander Khalifa Haftar claimed Wednesday to have captured the Yarmuk military camp south of the capital, Tripoli, from the UN-backed government.</p> <p>They said in a statement they are advancing towards Tripoli’s center.</p> <p>Since last week, the fighters have carried out an attack to seize the capital from the UN-backed government.</p> <p>The Yarmuk military camp is in the Ain Zara area, which had been witnessing clashes between Haftar’s forces and government forces.</p> <p>The UN-backed government has not yet issued a statement on the claims.</p> <p>Libya has remained beset by turmoil since 2011, when a bloody NATO-backed uprising led to the ouster and death of President Muammar Gaddafi after four decades in power.</p> <p>Since then, the country’s stark political divisions have yielded two rival seats of power: one in eastern Libya, with which strongman Khalifa Haftar is associated, and another in Tripoli, which enjoys UN support. </p> <p>*Writing by Erdogan Cagatay Zontu