Libya

TRIPOLI, March 31 (Xinhua) -- The UN-backed Libyan Prime Minister Fayez Serraj on Tuesday welcomed international calls to unite the divided Central Bank of Libya.

"The Head of the Presidential Council of the Government of National Accord welcomes the calls of international parties, the United Nations Support Mission in Libya, and the U.S. Embassy to Libya to unite the Central Bank of Libya, end the division, and convene the Bank's Board of Directors again to carry out its tasks that are defined by law," the UN-backed government said in a statement.

29 Mar 2020; MEMO: Libya’s UN-recognized government said Saturday it has detected the arrival of three military cargo planes from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to an airbase controlled by warlord Khalifa Haftar in eastern Libya, Anadolu reports.

In a statement, the government-led Volcano of Rage Operation said the planes took off from the Sweihan airbase in Abu Dhabi and arrived in Al-Khadim airbase in the city of Al-Marj.

TRIPOLI, March 28 (NNN-XINHUA) — Libya’s National Oil Corporation (NOC) said that the suspension of oil exports after the closure of oil fields and ports has caused a loss of more than 3.6 billion U.S. dollars so far.

“The current levels of production are 96,702 barrels a day. Forced restriction of production has resulted in financial losses exceeding 3.6 billion dollars since Jan. 17, 2020. These are funds that could have been spent on medical supplies and equipment to help all Libyans deal with COVID-19,” NOC said in a statement.

TRIPOLI, March 27 (Xinhua) -- An official of the United Nations children's agency on Thursday called on the warring parties in Libya to halt fighting and instead focus on combatting the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Appalled that instead of respecting call for humanitarian truce, warring parties fighting more in Tripoli. Spare your children and families. Fight only the invisible common enemy covid19," UNICEF Special Representative in Libya Abdel-Rahman Ghandour tweeted.

TRIPOLI, March 25 (Xinhua) -- Libya's east-based army said on Wednesday that the army has repelled an attack by the forces of the rival UN-backed government on Alwatya air base, some 130 km southwest of the capital Tripoli.

The UN-backed government's forces suffered great losses to the east-based army, Ahmad al-Mismari, spokesman of the army, told a press conference in the eastern city of Benghazi.

He also accused the government forces of indiscriminately shelling residential neighborhoods in Tripoli.

20 Mar 2020; MEMO: Forces of Libya’s UN-recognized Government of National Accord (GNA) neutralized 25 militia members loyal to renegade General Khalifa Haftar early Friday during clashes in the capital, Anadolu reports.

Tripoli-based Febrayer TV reported that troops taking part in the GNA’s Volcano of Rage Operation and the militias clashed in the Ain Zara region south of Tripoli.

TRIPOLI, March 19 (NNN-Xinhua) — Indiscriminate shelling killed three children in the south of the Libyan capital, said a local official.

“Three children of one family were killed by indiscriminate shelling in Ain Zara, southern Tripoli,” said Amin Hashem, information adviser of the UN-backed government’s Ministry of Health.

Both the UN-backed government forces and the rival eastern-based army exchanged accusations for targeting civilians in Tripoli.

TRIPOLI, March 17 (Xinhua) -- Libya's daily oil production has dropped from more than 1.2 million barrels to less than 100,000 barrels, due to the closure of oil ports and fields by tribal leaders in eastern Libya in protest against the UN-backed government, said the state-owned National Oil Corporation (NOC) Monday.

TRIPOLI, March 14 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) on Friday said it evacuated 128 refugees from Libya to Niger.

"In the 1st evacuation of the year, Sudanese, Somali and Eritrean refugees were transported today from Libya to Niger to UNHCR's transit center in Niamey," UNHCR said.

"Refugees living in urban areas and others recently released from detention were part of this group," UNHCR added.

TRIPOLI, March 14 (Xinhua) -- The UN-backed government's forces repelled an attack by the rival east-based army in southern Tripoli, killing at least 25 soldiers and destroying four military vehicles of the east-based army, a spokesman of the forces of the UN-backed Libyan government said Friday.

"Our forces managed to deal with the attack (of the east-based army) in Ramla area (in southern Tripoli), destroying four military vehicles and killing no less than 15 of their mercenaries," Mohamed Gonono said in a statement.