GNA-Affiliated Militias Escalate Threats Against Salame

Security fears have risen on likely attempts by armed militias in the capital, Tripoli, to assassinate UN Envoy to Libya Ghassan Salame.

Meanwhile, official threats by militias loyal to the Government of National Accord (GNA), headed by Fayez al-Sarraj, have escalated on Thursday for the second day in a row.

These threats were issued in rejection of Salame’s recent briefing at the Security Council on the military and political situation in the country, considering Salame’s continued stay in Libya “betrayal to the martyrs’ blood.”

The so-called “support force” in Tripoli said in a statement addressing all pro-Sarraj militias that the UN envoy “has become a major part of the country’s current crisis.”

It accused him of “not distinguishing between right and wrong and the aggressor and victims,” in his most recent briefing, demanding the concerned authorities to immediately intervene “before it is too late.”

Sarraj government forces’-led “Volcano of Rage” operation expressed its dissatisfaction at Salame’s briefing, describing it as “unsuccessful” and called on him to “correct it” officially and on media.

Mohannad Younes, minister of martyrs and wounded affairs in Sarraj’s government, has joined the campaign and said Salame’s briefing was “full of lies.”

“These practices can’t be tolerated, and Libya's freemen will show their response in the field,” Younes tweeted.

Salame had expressed concern about the increasing frequency of attacks on Mitiga airport, which serves as the only functioning airport in the greater Tripoli area and has closed many times over the past four months.

He called upon authorities in Tripoli to stop using the airport for military purposes and for the attacking forces to halt targeting it immediately, in reference to Marshal Khalifa Haftar’s forces.

“There are unconfirmed allegations that human rights abuses may have taken place in the city of Gheryan,” Salame said, after Sarraj forces have taken control over the city one month ago to be later regained by the Libyan National Army (LNA) forces.

He noted that the UN mission is currently investigating this issue.

The LNA intervened in the conflict between the UN envoy and Sarraj’s government, and its spokesman General Brigadier Ahmed al-Mesmari said that Salame’s briefing has intimidated terrorists in Tripoli.

He also wondered how Sarraj can protest Salame’s briefing while Salah Badi and Osama al-Juwaili, both wanted internationally, are fighting with his forces.