President of the Libyan House of Representatives Aguila Saleh Issa told Sputnik in an interview that Libya's Government of National Accord (GNA), headed by Fayez Sarraj, uses the proceeds from selling oil to finance armed groups
CAIRO (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 14th May, 2019) President of the Libyan House of Representatives Aguila Saleh Issa told Sputnik in an interview that Libya's Government of National Accord (GNA), headed by Fayez Sarraj, uses the proceeds from selling oil to finance armed groups.
"They pay mercenaries using public funds to fight the Libyan National Army [LNA]. And the source of these funds is oil, which is under the control of the LNA. It is the army that ensures the security of oil fields and oil exports. But the proceeds from its sale come to the Central Bank of Libya in Tripoli, which is under the control of terrorist groups. The Libyan people have all the rights to these riches, but in the end they get nothing," Saleh said.
He noted that the GNA fell under the control of terrorist groups and cannot realize the interests of the Libyan people.
The Libyan parliament speaker also stressed that the international community was gradually coming to seeing the links between the GNA and armed groups.
In April, Khalifa Haftar, the head of the LNA, launched an offensive to retake Tripoli from control of the internationally-recognized Government of National Accord (GNA). The LNA has already recaptured a number of settlements near the capital and the Tripoli International Airport, located around 20 miles away from the city. The forces loyal to the GNA announced a counteroffensive, dubbed Volcano of Rage.
Libya has been gripped by conflict since 2011, when the country's longtime leader Muammar Gaddafi was overthrown and killed. The eastern part of the crisis-torn state is governed by its parliament, with headquarters in the city of Tobruk. The parliament is backed by the LNA. At the same time, the UN-backed GNA, headed by Prime Minister Fayez Sarraj, operates in the country's west and is headquartered in Tripoli.
