(VOVWORLD) - General Khalifa Haftar said in a televised speech that his self-styled Libyan National Army (LNA) was going to take formal control of the war-torn North African country,Reuters reported on Monday.
Haftar’s forces had already been in de facto control of the country’s eastern regions as they continued to push for the capital Tripoli, where the UN-recognised Government of National Accord (GNA), established in 2015 following Mohammed Gaddafi’s fall, is based.
The LNA will be “accepting a popular mandate” to rule Libya, Reuters said citing Haftar.
The country has been divided since 2014 between the two factions, and the LNA last year launched the campaign on Tripoli, with support from Russia, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates.
Pro-GNA forces have taken back some ground during April, with Turkey’s support of weapons and military advisers.
Haftar said last week that the agreement that led to the GNA’s establishment had failed.