The Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte met Thursday with Khalifa Haftar in Rome in what he described a "long meeting" saying they reviewed the current serious unrest in Tripoli.

Conte told reporters after his two-hour meeting with Haftar that he had called on Haftar to commit to ceasefire and that Italy is certain that Libyans can reach a political solution to the crisis.

Haftar met with the US ambassador to Italy before meeting with Conte.

According to many Italian sources, the meeting discussed the offensive led by Haftar on Tripoli, which has been condemned by Italy on its early days.

Haftar is expected to visit France to meet President Emmanuel Macron amid Italian-French reiteration for a ceasefire in Libya. </s> The United States and five European powers called on Monday on forces loyal to eastern Libyan commander Khalifa Haftar to withdraw from several key oil ports seized from a rival force over the weekend.

"We call for all military forces that have moved into the oil crescent to withdraw immediately, without preconditions," said the statement from the United States, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and Britain.

Forces loyal to Haftar took control of Ras Lanuf, Es Sider, Zueitina and Brega ports, displacing a force that is allied to the U.N.-backed government in Tripoli. </s> DINARD, France (Reuters) - Eastern Libyan commander Khalifa Haftar must listen to warnings from the international community to halt his advance on Tripoli or else it will have to see what needs to be done, Italy’s foreign minister said on Saturday.

“We have stated quite clearly what our position is,” Enzo Milanesi told reporters after a G7 meeting of foreign ministers in western France.

“We very much hope that he will take it into consideration. If this does not happen, we will see what can be done,” he said. </s> Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said Thursday that he reiterated a call for a ceasefire in Libya during a surprise meeting in Rome with Libyan strongman General Khalifa Haftar.

"We want a ceasefire and we feel that the political path is the only solution," he said.

Read more: Libya's battle for Tripoli — what you need to know

Haftar's self-proclaimed Libyan National Army (LNA) has been fighting forces loyal to the UN-recognized Government of National Accord (GNA) since early April as part of an offensive to capture the capital city of Tripoli.

"I expressed the concern of Italy and of my government for the current situation, which we consider very critical," he added, without providing details on Haftar's response to the ceasefire call.

Haftar is expected to travel on to Paris for meetings with French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian media reported.

France and Italy have squabbled over the conflict, with France a long-time backer of Haftar and Italy a strong supporter of the GNA.

Libya's political turmoil began after the ouster and killing of longtime dictator Moammar Gadhafi during a NATO-backed uprising in 2011.

Alongside the rivalry between the GNA and the LNA, several militias, including jihadi groups, have vied for control of key cities in the North African country.

Every evening, DW sends out a selection of the day's news and features. Sign up here. </s> DINARD, France, April 6 (Reuters) - Foreign Ministers of the Group of Seven nations agreed on Saturday to put pressure on those responsible for a violent power struggle in Libya, especially commander Khalifa Haftar, to avoid a military escalation, Germany’s Heiko Maas said.

“We are agreed that we must use all the possibilities at our disposal to exert pressure on those responsible in Libya especially General Haftar, so that we avoid any further military escalation. We all agreed,” he told reporters.

Each country would use its own channels, said Maas, adding that Italy and France had direct contacts with Libya. “The situation is very worrying and we cannot accept a further military escalation,” Maas said after a ministerial meeting. (Reporting by Richard Lough; editing by John Irish Via Berlin Newsroom) </s> French President Emmanuel Macron speaks during a news conference with New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern (not pictured) at the 'Christchurch Call Meeting' at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France May 15, 2019. Yoan Valat/Pool via REUTERS

PARIS, (Reuters) - French President Emmanuel Macron will meet eastern Libyan commander Khalifa Haftar in the middle of next week to discuss how to resume peace talks in the country, a French presidential source said on Thursday.

Macron last week called for a ceasefire in the month-long battle for Libya’s capital Tripoli after meeting U.N.-backed Libyan Prime Minister Fayez al-Serraj.

“They will discuss the situation in Libya, the conditions for a return to political dialogue following the visit of Serraj and in co-ordination with the United Nations and partners,” the source told Reuters.

Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte met Haftar on Thursday as European powers seek to put an end to fighting after troops loyal to Haftar launched an offensive on the capital breaking months of U.N.-led peace negotiations.

“Prime Minister Conte reiterated the need to agree to a ceasefire as soon as possible to avoid a humanitarian crisis in the country and safeguard the already difficult conditions of the Libyan people,” his office said.

Tripoli is home to the internationally-recognized administration but some European countries such as France have also supported eastern military commander Haftar as a way to fight militants in a country in chaos since the toppling of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.

A day after meeting Macron last week, Serraj’s administration asked 40 foreign firms including French oil major Total to renew their licenses or have their operations suspended. </s> The United States says it is “deeply concerned” about a battle near Libya’s capital, Tripoli. and is seeking an “immediate halt” to an offensive against the city by commander Khalifa Haftar’s self-styled Libyan National Army (LNA).

 

 “We have made clear that we oppose the military offensive by Khalifa Haftar’s forces and urge the immediate halt to these military operations against the Libyan capital," U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a statement from Washington late on April 7.

 

 According to the Health Ministry of Libya’s UN-backed government of National Accord, 11 people were killed and 23 wounded by fighting on April 7 in the southern part of Tripoli between government forces and Haftar's Russia-backed forces. The ministry did not give details about whether the casualties were civilians or fighters.

 

 Before those casualties were announced, the Tripoli-based government said at least 23 people had been killed and 27 wounded on both sides, including civilians, since fighting broke out around the capital on April 4.

 

 Casualties from fighting on April 7 were announced after Haftar’s forces said they carried out an air strike near Tripoli Airport on the southern outskirts of the capital, escalating the battle despite calls for a truce from the United Nations.

 

 Meanwhile, forces of the internationally backed Prime Minister Fayez Serraj said on April 7 that they launched a counterattack against Haftar’s fighters, codenamed “Operation Volcano of Anger,” in a bid to “cleanse all Libyan cities from aggressors and illegitimate forces.”

 

 Haftar’s forces are allied with a self-declared administration in Libya’s eastern city of Tobruk that is a rival to Serraj’s unity government.

 

 Russia has been a key supporter of Haftar, along with Egypt and the United Arab Emirates.

 

 France’s AFP news agency reports that Russia on April 7 blocked a formal UN Security Council statement in line with Pompeo’s call for Haftar’s forces to halt their advance on Tripoli.

 

 That draft statement also "called for those who undermine Libya's peace and security to be held to account,” AFP reported.

 

 Security Council diplomats told AFP that Moscow insisted that the formal statement urge all Libyan forces to stop fighting, but the United States opposed that proposed change.

 

 The battle for Tripoli marks a sharp escalation of a power struggle that has gone on since longtime Libyan leader Colonel Muammar Qaddafi was overthrown in 2011.

 

 In another sign of the deteriorating situation, the United States said on April 7 it has temporarily withdrawn some of its forces from the country due to "security conditions on the ground.”

 

 A small contingent of American troops has been in Libya in recent years to help local forces combat Islamic State (IS) extremists and Al-Qaeda militants, as well as to protect diplomatic facilities.

 

 "The security realities on the ground in Libya are growing increasingly complex and unpredictable," said U.S. Marine Corps General Thomas Waldhauser, the head of U.S. Africa Command.

 

 "Even with an adjustment of the force, we will continue to remain agile in support of existing U.S. strategy, “ Waldhauser said.

 

 He did not provide details on the number of U.S. troops that have been withdrawn or on how many remain within the country.



 With reporting by Reuters, AP, AFP, dpa, and BBC </s> Libyan strongman Khalifa Haftar, who has launched a military offensive against the UN-recognised government in Tripoli, held surprise talks with Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte in Rome on Thursday ahead of a visit to Paris next week, officials said.

Conte said he urged Haftar to call a ceasefire to his assault on the government of Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj, who also travelled to Rome and Paris for talks last week.

"It was a fairly long meeting, a lengthy exchange of information," Conte told journalists. "I informed him of the government's position. We want a ceasefire and we feel that the political path is the only solution."

Conte said last week that he wanted to meet Haftar after his talks with Sarraj.

The Libyan military chief, whose forces control large swathes of the country's east, will travel next week to Paris for talks with President Emmanuel Macron, his office said.

"The goal will be to discuss the situation in Libya and the conditions for resuming a political dialogue... in conjunction with the UN and our partners," an Elysee Palace official said.

France and Italy are the two lead European powers seeking to find a solution to years of instability, spreading Islamic extremism and a migrant crisis in Libya which fell into chaos after the NATO-backed toppling of dictator Moamer Kadhafi in 2011.

But the neighbours are seen by experts as competing for influence and the issue has caused tensions between the governments.

Sarraj, who is seen as being close to Rome, has accused France of supporting "dictator" Haftar's campaign against his internationally recognised Government of National Accord (GNA).

Paris has rejected the claims, saying it supports Sarraj but also considers Haftar a key player in rebuilding Libya after years of strife.

Haftar's bid to unseat Sarraj and take control of the Libyan capital has reached a military and political impasse after more than a month of fighting.

After the initial advance, forces loyal to the GNA launched a counter-offensive that has led to a stalemate on the ground.

The fighting has killed at least 430 people and wounded over 2,000 while displacing 55,000 others, according to UN estimates.

The European Union on Monday called for all sides in the conflict to put down their arms and commit to UN talks, saying the offensive was a threat to international peace.

"The situation in Libya is very worrying because the roadmap proposed by the United Nations... has been jeopardised by both the move by Marshal Haftar and by the move, or non-move by Prime Minister Sarraj," French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian told lawmakers on Tuesday. </s> WASHINGTON, April 8 — The United States is “deeply concerned” by fighting near Libya’s capital Tripoli and is seeking an “immediate halt” to an offensive by strongman Khalifa Haftar, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Sunday.

“We have made clear that we oppose the military offensive by Khalifa Haftar’s forces and urge the immediate halt to these military operations against the Libyan capital,” he said in a statement.

Libya descended into chaos during the 2011 overthrow of Moamer Kadhafi that has seen a bitter rivalry emerge between the Tripoli-based authorities and Haftar’s supporters in the east of the country.

Fighting raged south of Tripoli yesterday, three days after Haftar launched the offensive to seize the capital, now controlled by a UN-backed unity government and an array of militias.

But Pompeo stressed that there is “no military solution to the Libya conflict,” and urged all parties to “urgently de-escalate the situation.”

“This unilateral military campaign against Tripoli is endangering civilians and undermining prospects for a better future for all Libyans,” he said.

“The United States continues to press Libyan leaders, together with our international partners, to return to political negotiations mediated by UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General Ghassan Salame,” he added.

“A political solution is the only way to unify the country and provide a plan for security, stability, and prosperity for all Libyans.” — AFP
The United States, United Kingdom, France, and Italy issue a joint statement calling on Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar to end the offensive.