What's next for Gen. Hifter after moving into southern Libya?
Libya’s eastern military strongman recently launched an offensive to clear out militias from the southern region of the country, in what could be seen as a move to stabilize the whole of Libya.
I recently made the five-hour drive from Tripoli to the little town of Harawah, home to the Awlad Suleiman tribe, about 80 kilometers (50 miles) east of Sirte in eastern Libya. Just before reaching Harawah, I passed through the last checkpoint manned by the Libyan National Army (LNA), headed by Gen. Khalifa Hifter. The single guard in military uniform at the checkpoint waved me through without question.
Libya has been torn between two would-be leaders: Hifter in Tobruk in the northeast, and Fayez al-Sarraj, the prime minister of the Government of National Accord (GNA) in Tripoli in the northwest. The UN recognizes the GNA; Hifter's LNA has the support of Russia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and France.
