12 Jan 2020, 11:22

Haftar’s troops withdrawal to former positions is only chance to keep ceasefire, GNA says

"We want to recall that our firm position is that the aggressor must withdraw its forces to the areas from where it had come," the GNA stressed

CAIRO, January 12. /TASS/. The withdrawal of the Libyan National Army led by Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar to its positions before the April 2019 offensive in Tripoli is the only chance to maintain the ceasefire proposed by Russia and Turkey, the Government of National Accord led by Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj said on its official Facebook page.

"The presidential council [acts as the head of state and is led by al-Sarraj] has recorded ceasefire violations by the formations carrying out aggression in the areas of Salah al-Din and Wadi Rabie just several minutes after it had entered into force," the statement said. "While confirming our commitment to the ceasefire, we emphasize that the sponsors of this deal and the United Nations Support Mission in Libya should be committed to its full implementation," the GNA said, stressing that these incidents should not be ignored and must be prevented.

"We want to recall that our firm position is that the aggressor must withdraw its forces to the areas from where it had come," the GNA stressed. "We believe that this is the only way for success of any ceasefire initiative. We won’t stand still in case these violations repeat and our response will be harsh."

Russian and Turkish Presidents Vladimir Putin and Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the January 8 summit in Istanbul urged all the conflicting parties in Libya to stop fighting at midnight on January 12. On Saturday evening, the Libyan National Army announced backing the ceasefire, and the Tripoli-based Government of National Accord later voiced its support for the initiative. Shortly after the ceasefire came into effect, the conflicting sides started trading blame for violating it.

Currently, Libya has two supreme executive authorities, namely the internationally recognized Tripoli-based Government of National Accord headed by Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj, and the interim government of Abdullah al-Thani, seated in the east of the country, alongside the parliament, which is supported by the Libyan National Army (LNA) led by Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar. On December 12, 2019, Haftar announced the launch of a win-the-war offensive against Tripoli, aiming to eradicate terrorist groups operating there.

PREVIEW: Easter Sunday celebrated by Orthodox Christians

This year Orthodox Easter coincides with the holy day for Catholics

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Japan protests what it thinks is Russia’s growing presence in Kurils

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Yesterday, 03:22

Russia’s Battlegroup Dnepr wipes out up to 85 Ukrainian troops in 24 hours

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20 Oct 2011, 11:57

Gaddafi’s defence minister killed in Libya - doctors

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First chess tournament held in medieval tower in Ingushetia’s mountains

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Western intel agencies aid anti-government forces in Afghanistan — SVR

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Participants in Easter marches in Germany oppose arms supplies to Kiev

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Israel weighs strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities in coming months — news agency

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Iran won’t engage in contacts with new Syrian authorities until they restore order — MFA

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Yesterday, 19:16

Zelensky claims that Kiev is ready to observe ceasefire

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Russian forces liberate Oleshnya in Kursk Region — top brass

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US’ threats to abandon talks on Ukraine directed against Kiev rather than Moscow — Axios

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Latest POW exchange between Russia, Ukraine was largest since conflict began — UAE

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Russia denounces agreement on cooperation in Barents sea region

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Yesterday, 10:16

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Azerbaijan says its army positions shelled from Armenian territory

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Two days ago, 17:48

Crimea's 18th-century incorporation gave Russia lasting strategic edge — Russian lawmaker

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Two days ago, 23:54

Russian forces take control over section of important road in Sumy Region — expert

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Europe must understand that US may leave Ukrainian settlement process — State Department

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Two days ago, 09:41

US envoy says territorial issue could be partially resolved in Russia’s favor

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Putin congratulates military, all Orthodox Christians on Easter

He urged Gerasimov to pass along his best wishes to the soldiers, expressing gratitude for their dedication, sacrifice, and heroism in service of the Fatherland

Aircraft with Russian servicemen returned from captivity landed in Moscow

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ISS end won't mean end to space cooperation, Putin assures

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St. Andrew the First-Called Foundation brings Holy Fire to Russia

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Yesterday, 21:38

Night Easter service begins in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow

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Holy Fire descends in Church of Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem

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Russia to fully provide itself with critical raw materials by 2030 — official

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Easter personifies revival and hope — Russian Prime Minister

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Russian forces approach village of Loknya in Sumy Region — military expert

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Humanoid robot runs twice as slow as humans at half-marathon in China

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Yesterday, 08:39

Vulin not included in Serbia’s new cabinet because of Western pressure on Vucic — source

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Russia's Kucherov wins Art Ross Trophy, 10th in NHL history with at least three

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Russian delegation arrives at Church of Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem

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Yesterday, 08:16

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Russian, Iranian national teams to play two friendly futsal matches in October — agency

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Yesterday, 13:44

All issues on Iran's nuclear program should be resolved through diplomacy — Kremlin

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Yesterday, 17:09

St. Andrew the First-Called Foundation heading to Russia with Holy Fire taken in Jerusalem

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Yesterday, 16:09

Putin's 30-hour Easter truce ceasefire comes into force

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US declassifies over 10,000 pages of documents about assassination of JFK's brother

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Russia’s Battlegroup Center eliminated over 315 Ukrainian troops in 24 hours

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Russian soldiers eliminated Ukrainian militants who shot civilians in Kursk region

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France, UK, Germany can help achieve peace in Ukraine, top US diplomat says

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New port of Archangelsk to provide Russia with year-round access to World Ocean

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US leadership understands root causes of Ukrainian conflict — Kremlin aide

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Too early for IAEA to join Iran-U.S. talks, says Iranian foreign minister

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Russian oil imports by China down 14.7% in Q1 2025 — statistics

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Next US military aid package to Ukraine not being discussed — NYT

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Two days ago, 11:04

Moscow breaks temperature record for April 18 — lead meteorologist

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Iran, U.S. reach greater understanding at talks in Rome — Araghchi

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Yesterday, 04:59

Minerals deal unrelated to peace process in Ukraine — US Department of State

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Yesterday, 13:31

Ukrainian conflict resolution process is heading in right direction — Kellogg

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US Senate idea to tax countries working with Russia could cripple global economy — expert

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Salaries in Russian IT segment to continue growing in 2025 — SuperJob

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Ukraine, US sign memorandum expressing willingness to reach deal on minerals — official

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US to decide on military presence in Europe after contacts with Russia — Pentagon chief

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Two days ago, 22:51

US may recognize Crimea as Russian territory — Bloomberg

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Two days ago, 17:50

Pakistan completed preparations for first freight train from Russia — Ambassador

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Yesterday, 15:51

Putin shows respect for feelings of believers by announcing Easter truce — legislator

Slutsky expressed confidence that the Russian armed forces will strictly adhere to the ceasefire agreements

Two days ago, 17:30

Trump believes Ukrainian conflict to be settled soon

The US leader expressed confidence that all sides were showing enthusiasm to reach the agreement

Yesterday, 10:32

Putin instructs to consider buyback mechanism for departed brands by May 15

Companies that left the Russian market after February 22, 2022 will be subject to this measure

Yesterday, 13:31

Russian forces hit test site of Ukrainian Sapsan missile defense system — top brass

Russian servicemen have liberated the Shevchenko settlement in the Donetsk People’s Republic, the Defense Ministry said

Trump concedes NATO at war against Russia in Ukraine

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Two days ago, 16:50

Iran to reduce uranium enrichment if Trump doesn't scrap nuclear pact — news agency

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19 Jul 2018, 10:19

Russia tests strategic bomber with new air-to-surface missile

As was reported earlier, Russia had been working on a new version of the Tu-22M3 bomber - the Tu-22M3M

Yesterday, 05:29

Russian forces advance near Volchansk despite serious Ukrainian counterattacks — expert

Andrey Marochko noted that at the moment the Russian forces are currently engaged in active fighting in the area of Volchanskiye Khutora

Yesterday, 07:51

Zelensky may find US-proposed version of peace deal 'hard to swallow' — newspaper

The current US presidential special envoy Steve Witkoff package "doesn’t seem to include US-backed security guarantees," The Washington Post columnist David Ignatius wrote

Two days ago, 10:00

Press review: UN ready to join Black Sea deal while Russia lifts Taliban ban

Top stories from the Russian press on Friday, April 18th

Yesterday, 05:54

China successfully launches six satellites

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Russia’s Medvedev says European troops to return in coffins if deployed to Ukraine

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Yesterday, 22:24

Russian Patriarch calls to actively love neighbors

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Yesterday, 03:14

Russia’s Battlegroup West eliminates over 260 Ukrainian troops, Starlink stations

The battlegroup’s spokesman Ivan Bigma added that the enemy’s losses included three armored combat vehicles, 10 motor vehicles

Two days ago, 07:43

Memo signed between Ukraine, US envisages no security guarantees — Ukrainian MP

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Hungarian officials not to come to Victory Day parade in Moscow — Orban’s office

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Yesterday, 21:40

FACTBOX: Orthodox Easter

This year orthodox believers will celebrate Easter on April 20

Yesterday, 02:59

Russia’s Battlegroup North strikes Ukrainian brigades in Sumy Region

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Press review: US could rally 70 countries against China and EU targets Russia before May 9

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Trump, Lula admire Putin, disdain Zelensky — media

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Yesterday, 01:29

US develops plan on monitoring ceasefire in Ukraine — WSJ

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Yesterday, 22:29

Soyuz MS-26 spaceship dedocked from ISS

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