Libyan Warlord Quits Army Command To Run For President

Powerful Libyan warlord Khalifa Haftar has set the stage for his presidential bid in the strife-torn country by temporarily relinquishing command of his army, Deutsche Presse-Agentur (dpa) reported.

Photo Insert: Khalifa Haftar

A statement issued Wednesday, Sept. 22, 2021, by the Libyan National Army's General Command confirmed the move but not the motive. An election law recently ratified by parliamentary speaker Aguila Saleh requires state employees to temporarily suspend their posts three months before the election date as a condition of running for office.

The election is scheduled for December 24 but it is unclear if the poll will happen in the fractured North African nation.

Libya has been mired in a civil war involving numerous militias since the fall of long-time dictator Moamer Gaddafi in 2011. A ceasefire has been in place since last year and a transitional government was formed under UN mediation to lead the country through to elections.

Haftar leads the self-proclaimed Libyan National Army in the east of the country. Haftar fought the internationally recognized government, based in the west, during the civil war.

Haftar is supported by the Russian government, among others. He had long been considered a possible candidate for the election, where Libyans can elect their president directly.

On the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said the Libyan election should be held as planned so as not to jeopardize the peace process after many years of civil war.

"Last year, Libya emerged from the darkness of armed conflict. But peace is more than the mere absence of war - and many risks persist," Maas warned.

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