Libya’s Haftar not dead, being treated in Paris, LNA says
The office of the commander of the Libyan National Army (LNA) has denied reports of the death of General Khalifa Haftar, saying he is receiving treatment in Paris and will return to Libya soon.
Ahmed al-Mismari, a spokesman for the LNA, said Saturday that Haftar fell ill while on a visit to Europe, insisting that the Libyan general was now in a stable condition.
“Marshall Haftar felt ill while in Paris, during a visit to several foreign states, and he will return to the homeland soon ... after medical treatment,” said Mismari.
Haftar’s office also issued a statement denying reports in the French media earlier this week that the LNA commander had died after suffering from a health scare in Paris, calling the reports “fake news”.
People in the Libyan capital, Tripoli, had even staged rallies to celebrate Haftar’s death, according to images released by some Libyan media outlets.
However, Mismari said Haftar was receiving normal check-ups in Paris and that he would return to Libya “within a few days”.
Haftar, a general under former strongman Muammar Gaddafi, became a major figure in Libya’s politics after Gaddafi’s fall and death in 2011. He has consistently opposed a government in Tripoli which is backed by the United Nations. The 75-year-old has been backed by countries to the east of Libya, including Egypt, while governments like Algeria and Tunisia back the internationally recognized government which dominates the western territories of the oil-rich North African country.
France and some Western governments who helped oust Gaddafi from power through a NATO military operation have also been supporting Haftar and his powerful military force while governments in the Persian Gulf region, including the United Arab Emirates, continue to provide him with funds and weapons.
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