LNA Commander Haftar Will Not Attend Palermo Conference On Libyan Settlement - Source

Faizan Hashmi Published November 11, 2018 | 02:51 AM

BENGHAZI (Libya) (UrduPoint news / Sputnik - 11th November, 2018) Commander of the Libyan National Army (LNA) Khalifa Haftar will not take part in the conference on the Libyan settlement that will be held in the Italian city of Palermo on November 12-13, a source in the LNA told Sputnik.

Earlier in fall, Haftar has confirmed his participation in the upcoming conference.

"Commander-in-chief of the Libyan National Army, Marshal Khalifa Haftar, will not attend the upcoming conference that will be held in Palermo, Italy, on November 12-13, in order to find a solution to the political and security crisis in Libya," the source said on Saturday.

Libya has been torn apart by conflict since longtime leader Muammar Gaddafi was overthrown in 2011. Currently, there is a dual authority in the country. The UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA), headed by Prime Minister Fayez Sarraj, operates in the country's west and is headquartered in Tripoli. The authorities of the eastern part of the country operate independently of Tripoli and cooperate with the LNA, headed by Haftar.