While far from new to the scene in Libya, this renegade warlord has now moved centre stage – a position that he has been seeking for many years. Haftar is behind the assault against the UN-recognized Government of National Accord in the capital Tripoli, which he is attacking with support from his powerbase in Benghazi, eastern Libya.
Since the conflict waged by Haftar’s militia (the self-styled Libyan National Army, or LNA) began in early April 2019, more than 1,000 war-weary Libyans have died. It has come to be known as the Second Libyan Civil War. Some of the most recent casualties were refugees and migrants (60 dead, 130 injured) housed in the Tajoura detention centre in a Tripoli suburb, which was hit by an LNA airstrike.
