In a statement issued by the White House it was reported that President of the United States, Donald Trump spoke to the Libyan military commander, Khalifa Haftar, on the ongoing turmoil in Libya to overthrow the United Nations-backed government. The White House statement said that both leaders highlighted the need for a shared vision for Libya’s transition to a stable, democratic political system. Counter-terrorism measures being pursued by Libya also cropped up during the discussions. Political observers fail to understand why the US kept the phone call between the two leaders under wrap for almost a week. It is important to note that both The United States and Russia said they could not support a U.N. Security Council resolution calling for a ceasefire in Libya at this time, when Libya is witnessing a flare-up in violence. Egypt and the United Arab Emirates perceive Haftar as a bulwark against Islamists. Haftar supports a rival administration based in eastern Libya that refuses to recognise the authority of the Tripoli government. Russia declined to support the British-drafted resolution blaming Haftar for the latest flare-up in violence when his Libyan National Army (LNA) advanced to the outskirts of Tripoli earlier this month. On its part, the United States did not offer to cite a reason for refusing to support the draft resolution, which would also call on countries with influence over the warring parties to ensure compliance and for unconditional humanitarian aid access in Libya. Libya has been in the grip of anarchy since Muammar Gaddafi was toppled in 2011.
