UAE, Egypt racing the clock to find substitute to dying Libya warlord Haftar

BY Libyan Express Apr 18, 2018 - 10:33

Haftar meets with UAE deputy Chief of Staff [Photo: Archive]

The United Arab Emirates and Egypt are ramping up efforts and holding meetings inside and outside Libya with eastern tribes, including Furjan and Abidat, to find a substitute to Khalifa Haftar, the commander of the self-styled army in the eastern region.

These efforts come as uncertainty is still cast on the fate of the warlord Haftar, who according to conflicting reports, have either died or become non-functional after collapsing into a stroke over 7 days ago.

Local media reported on Tuesday that the Speaker of the House of Representatives in Tobruk, Aqilah Saleh, arrived in Abu Dhabi to meet the committee appointed for the task of finding an alternative scenario in Libya, with a new commander in the place of Haftar.

Up until today, however; the eastern forces’ officials are denying that Haftar is in bad shape, saying he is well and will return to Libya soon to assume his position as commander of the “Libyan National Army.”

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