Libya’s GNA lashes out at “inaccuracies” of UN envoy’s statement at Security Council

BY Libyan Express Aug 01, 2019 - 16:45

Ghassan Salame speaking at the UN Security Council via video conference. [Photo: UNSMIL]

Libya’s Government of National Accord has protested at what it said were “untruths” in UN envoy Ghassan Salame’s latest report on the conflict in the country.

Fayez Al-Sarraj, head of the UN-recognised GNA which is based in Tripoli, summoned Salame on Wednesday “to deliver a protest note over untruths” in his report to the United Nations Security Council, it said.

Salame, in a videoconference on Monday, raised the alarm over “the increasing frequency of attacks on Mitiga”, the Libyan capital’s only functioning airport.

“Several of these attacks have come perilously close to hitting civilian aircraft with passengers on board,” he said.

Salame urged “the authorities in Tripoli to cease using the airport for military purposes and for the attacking forces to halt immediately their targeting of it”.

Mitiga has closed several times over the past four months because of a battle for Tripoli between GNA forces and forces loyal to Khalifa Haftar.

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