After the ceasefire agreement in Libya: Haftar isolates Sirte city

After the Government of National Accord demanded the city of Sirte to be a demilitarized city, local sources confirmed that security services loyal to retired Major General Khalifa Haftar have cut off communications and internet services inside the city and isolated it.

This step comes after the President of the Presidency Council, Fayez Al-Sarraj, in Tripoli, and the speaker of the House of Representatives in Tobruk, Aguila Saleh, announced their agreement on an immediate and comprehensive cease-fire in the country. As the presidential council statement said, “achieving an effective ceasefire requires that the Sirte (north) and Al-Jufrah (central) regions become demilitarized, and the police forces from both sides agree on security arrangements.”

However, the Supreme Council of State in Libya said yesterday, Saturday, that it strongly refused to negotiate with the retired Major General Khalifa Haftar.

As the spokesman for the Supreme Council, Muhammad bin Nis, said in a press statement that any political dialogue must take place between elected organizations and personalities; In reference to the exclusion of dialogue with Khalifa Haftar.

Some sources pointed out that the city was isolated from its surroundings, and armed patrols were deployed in some of its main streets, while Al-Madar Al-Jadid Company – a Libyan government telecommunications company – said that its services inside the city and its suburbs have been stopped.

The importance of the city of Sirte – located in the middle of the Libyan coast – is that it opens the way to the strategic oil crescent region in the east of the country, which is controlled by Haftar’s forces.

The forces of the Government of National Accord – with Turkish support – were preparing to launch a military operation on the city to restore it from the forces of retired Major General Khalifa Haftar, which are supported by France, Russia, the UAE and Egypt.