MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The Libyan Political Agreement reached in December 2015 in Skhirat outlined the creation of the GNA as the interim Libyan government. The United Nations praised the accord, recognized GNA as the only legitimate Libyan government, and called on its member states to seize support to and official contacts with parallel institutions. However, the deal’s provisions have not been fully implemented so far due to existing contradictions.
“With the onset of December 17, 2017, the so-called political agreement ends, and all bodies formed according to it automatically lose their legitimacy, which is controversial from the first day of their work,” Libyan National Army Commander Gen. Khalifa Haftar said on the occasion of the second-year anniversary of the Skhirat accord.
The Libyan national army was threatened with international measures if it decides to act outside of the UN efforts, even though the army only obeys the will of the “free Libyan people,” according to Haftar.
"We strongly reject the method of threats and intimidation and promise to the Libyan people that we vow to protect them and their capabilities and institutions to the last soldier in our ranks, and also declare our refusal to submit… to any party, whatever source of its legitimacy, if it was not elected by the Libyan people," Haftar stressed.
The absence of a central authority and central army in the country have turned Libya into a smuggling center and a transit point for migrants, who are on their way from Africa to Europe.
