The rift between France and Italy over Libya policy burst into the open on Thursday as an offensive by commander Khalifa Haftar to capture the capital Tripoli stalled amid fierce fighting.
Diplomats said France, which has in the past deployed special forces to aid Field Marshal Haftar’s Libyan National Army (LNA) had blocked a planned European Union resolution that would have condemned the Tripoli attack.
In Tripoli itself there were signs that the LNA offensive against forces of the UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) had stalled, with battles across a fluid frontline south of the city. LNA units are now 11 kilometres from the city centre, where both sides have blocked roads with earth ramparts.
French diplomatic sources told Reuters news agency that they did not object to calling on the LNA to cease its offensive, but wanted a EU statement expanded to include reference to the plight of migrants trapped in the fighting, and to the presence, among anti-LNA forces, of militant groups.
Italy, a strong supporter of the GNA, accused France of jeopardising Libya’s security.
“It would be very serious if France for economic or commercial reasons had blocked an EU initiative to bring peace to Libya and would support a party that is fighting,” said Italy’s Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini. “As minister of the interior I will not stand by and watch.”
France and Italy have been at loggerheads over Libya, and several other issues including the distribution of migrants in Europe, for some time. Mr Salvini accused Paris of putting business ahead of humanity, saying: “Some think that the [2011 Nato-led military intervention] in Libya promoted by [former French President Nicolas] Sarkozy was triggered more by economic and commercial interests than by humanitarian concerns. I hope we are not seeing the same film all over again.”
France and Italy had previously been at the forefront of international efforts to end Libya’s four-year civil war, each holding a high-profile peace conference last year to encourage Libyan parties to hold elections.
French support for Field Marshal Haftar reflects sentiment in Paris that he is a bulwark against militancy in Libya and the wider North African region. Italian support for the GNA is motivated in part by agreements it has made with GNA forces to intercept people-smugglers, an initiative that has sharply cut the number of migrants crossing the Mediterranean to Italy. France’s Total and Italy’s ENI both have substantial oil interests in Libya, but there are no reports of either suffering production shortfalls as a result of the conflict.
The Paris-Rome fall-out has triggered fears among some diplomats that there will be no common front among external powers to persuade Libya’s combatants to agree a ceasefire. The UN on Wednesday postponed planned Libya peace talks, the National Conference, which had been scheduled for April 14. The UN insists it will hold the conference at a later date, but diplomats know they will need international unity to make it succeed.
In New York late on Wednesday night, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, who was visiting Libya on April 4 when the fighting first broke out, repeated calls for calm.
He said his appeals while he was in Libya for a ceasefire had failed. “It is obvious that my appeal for an offensive not to take place and for the hostilities to stop was not heard,” said Mr Guterres. “We need to restart a serious political dialogue and a serious political negotiation, but it is obvious that that cannot take place without fully stopping hostilities.”
The World Health Organisation said 56 people have died since fighting began, with 8,075 people fleeing their homes. The LNA said that in addition, 28 of its soldiers had been killed and 92 wounded.
Battles with artillery and rocket fire, backed by sporadic air strikes by both sides, were concentrated in the south western part of the city around the former international airport and the Ain Zara district.
THE SPECS
Engine: 1.5-litre
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Power: 110 horsepower
Torque: 147Nm
Price: From Dh59,700
On sale: now
THE DETAILS
Kaala
Dir: Pa. Ranjith
Starring: Rajinikanth, Huma Qureshi, Easwari Rao, Nana Patekar
Rating: 1.5/5
Tips to keep your car cool
- Place a sun reflector in your windshield when not driving
- Park in shaded or covered areas
- Add tint to windows
- Wrap your car to change the exterior colour
- Pick light interiors - choose colours such as beige and cream for seats and dashboard furniture
- Avoid leather interiors as these absorb more heat
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Heavily-sugared soft drinks slip through the tax net
Some popular drinks with high levels of sugar and caffeine have slipped through the fizz drink tax loophole, as they are not carbonated or classed as an energy drink.
Arizona Iced Tea with lemon is one of those beverages, with one 240 millilitre serving offering up 23 grams of sugar - about six teaspoons.
A 680ml can of Arizona Iced Tea costs just Dh6.
Most sports drinks sold in supermarkets were found to contain, on average, five teaspoons of sugar in a 500ml bottle.
Essentials
The flights: You can fly from the UAE to Iceland with one stop in Europe with a variety of airlines. Return flights with Emirates from Dubai to Stockholm, then Icelandair to Reykjavik, cost from Dh4,153 return. The whole trip takes 11 hours. British Airways flies from Abu Dhabi and Dubai to Reykjavik, via London, with return flights taking 12 hours and costing from Dh2,490 return, including taxes.
The activities: A half-day Silfra snorkelling trip costs 14,990 Icelandic kronur (Dh544) with Dive.is. Inside the Volcano also takes half a day and costs 42,000 kronur (Dh1,524). The Jokulsarlon small-boat cruise lasts about an hour and costs 9,800 kronur (Dh356). Into the Glacier costs 19,500 kronur (Dh708). It lasts three to four hours.
The tours: It’s often better to book a tailor-made trip through a specialist operator. UK-based Discover the World offers seven nights, self-driving, across the island from £892 (Dh4,505) per person. This includes three nights’ accommodation at Hotel Husafell near Into the Glacier, two nights at Hotel Ranga and two nights at the Icelandair Hotel Klaustur. It includes car rental, plus an iPad with itinerary and tourist information pre-loaded onto it, while activities can be booked as optional extras. More information inspiredbyiceland.com
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
DIVINE%20INTERVENTOIN
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Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
The tours
A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
Our legal consultants
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
