Libyan forces deny storming Presidency Council’s meeting venue

TRIPOLI, Libya

The Libyan government-led Burkan Al-Ghadab (Volcano of Rage) Operation on Saturday denied reports about storming Cornithia Hotel, the meeting venue of Libya’s Presidential Council by its forces.

Speaking to Anadolu Agency, commander of the Reserve Division of the Anti-Terrorism Force, Mukhtar al-Jahawi, said all they did was to express their desire to meet with the chairman of the Presidency Council Mohammad Menfi.

"We have neither stormed nor besieged the hotel, rather, the Volcano of Rage forces only wanted to express their desire to meet with the chairman of the Presidency Council to discuss with him a number of matters,” he said.

Asked about their demands, al-Jahawi said they demand the cease-fire agreement in the country be respected by both sides, pointing to the continued arrival of militias loyal to warlord Khalifa Haftar.

Al-Jahawi underlined the support of the Volcano of Rage forces to the Presidency Council and the National Unity Government.

"We support the Presidency Council,” al-Jahawi said, “however, we want to clarify some things, such as the violations of the other side [Haftar's militia]."

Commenting on the Turkish role in Libya, al-Jahawi hailed Turkey’s firm support for Libya to reach the elections and forming a civilian state “when everyone else abandoned” the oil-rich country.

For her part, the spokeswoman for the Presidency Council, Najwa Wahiba, said in a Twitter post that the storming targeted a hotel and not the meeting venue of the Presidency Council since it did not have a permanent meeting venue.

On Friday, a number of commanders of the Volcano of Rage Operation met at an iftar banquet in Tripoli to discuss several issues, including the army and the cease-fire.

*Writing by Ibrahim Mukhtar