Libya PM says UN political deal 'still in place'

By Walid Abdullah

TRIPOLI, Libya

The prime minister of Libya’s unity government, Fayez al-Sarraj, said Monday the 2015 UN-backed deal for political settlement "remains in place", dismissing statements by East Libya-based military commander Khalifa Haftar about the expiry of the agreement.

Haftar, whose forces control parts of Libya, said Sunday that the 2015 agreement that gave rise to Libya’s UN-backed unity government was over.

In a statement on Monday, al-Sarraj said: "Those who set obstacles will not be able to prevent the National Accord government from doing its duties."

He reiterated the commitment of Libya’s Presidential Council to hold elections in 2018.

"We will not allow any vacuum that will be filled with chaos and violations," he said.

Libya has remained in a state of turmoil since 2011, when a bloody uprising led to the ouster and death of longtime President Muammar Gaddafi.

In the six years since, the country's stark political divisions have yielded two rival seats of government -- one in Tobruk and another in Tripoli -- and a plethora of heavily-armed militia groups.

By Walid Abdullah

TRIPOLI, Libya

Haftar, whose forces control parts of Libya, said Sunday that the 2015 agreement that gave rise to Libya’s UN-backed unity government was over.

In a statement on Monday, al-Sarraj said: "Those who set obstacles will not be able to prevent the National Accord government from doing its duties."

He reiterated the commitment of Libya’s Presidential Council to hold elections in 2018.

"We will not allow any vacuum that will be filled with chaos and violations," he said.

Libya has remained in a state of turmoil since 2011, when a bloody uprising led to the ouster and death of longtime President Muammar Gaddafi.

In the six years since, the country's stark political divisions have yielded two rival seats of government -- one in Tobruk and another in Tripoli -- and a plethora of heavily-armed militia groups.