Haftar orders advance on Libyan capital city

Libyan strongman Khalifa Haftar on Thursday ordered his forces to advance on the capital, Tripoli, to clear it of militias, threatening a major escalation in violence that would likely shatter plans for a negotiated settlement to the nation’s conflict.

“We hear your call, Tripoli,” the commander told his self-styled Libyan National Army, according to a recording of a speech he gave to troops. “It is now the time for the great victory. March forward.” Haftar, whose stronghold is in Libya’s east, urged fighters to show restraint and not fire at anyone who doesn’t raise a weapon at them.

Gen. Abdelsalam al-Hassi, who heads the LNA’s operations in the west, where Tripoli is located, confirmed in a phone call that Haftar had ordered the offensive.

Underscoring the seriousness of the escalation, the internationally recognized Tripoli government of Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj had earlier ordered forces to mobilize and approved the use of airstrikes if necessary to counter any offensives.

“It’s been clear for a long time that Haftar’s ambition is to be leader of Libya,” said Crispin Hawes, founder of the Idrisi Advisors consultancy in London. “He needs the institutions that control the money,” namely the National Oil Corp. and the central bank.

The campaign marks the boldest advance yet by Haftar’s LNA, the country’s most organized military force. International powers have appealed to the sides to avert an armed showdown that could rattle global oil markets and sow further chaos in a divided country struggling to defeat Islamic State and stem the flow of migrants toward Europe.

The buildup suggested that Haftar would either make a concerted drive to seize the capital or at least strengthen his bargaining position ahead of an April 14 conference.