Libyan tribes confirm full support for LNA, smack Qatar and reject Tunisian proposal

Ahmed Adel

The council of sheikhs of Libya’s Tarhuna tribes announced on Tuesday, February 25 its categorical rejection of Tunisian President Kais Saied’s proposal to hold a meeting in Tunis for the Libyan tribes, as that meeting comes under the patronage of Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.

In a statement, the council declared that Qatar spent huge amounts of money to spread terrorism in Libya, calling on all Libyan tribes to stand together in the face of the blatant interference from Doha to destroy the Libyan state.

The council stressed its full respect for the role offered by Tunisian President Saied in the Libyan file but remained reserved of any idea or proposal to hold a conference that includes all the tribes in Libya under the auspices of the Qatari side.

Kais Saied announced during a press conference with Qatar’s Emir Tamim on Monday, February 24 that they discussed together the solution of the Libyan issue and how to bring together the Libyan tribes with popular legitimacy to prepare for Libyan elections to occur without foreign interference, as happened in Afghanistan. But the Libyan Tribal Council rejected that proposal, noting that what is happening in Libya cannot be compared to the Afghan situation. The Libyan tribes respect the country’s social, cultural, and political privacy, especially in this stage that is moving more towards a settlement in the field rather than a political one, and in light of the tribes’ rejection of foreign interference, especially the Qatari and Turkish interference that has been ongoing since 2011.

The sheikhs and representatives of the Libyan tribes had met in the city of Tarhuna on Thursday, February 20 to support the Libyan National Army (LNA) in its war against terrorism, stating that their country suffers from political division due to Doha’s funds and its support for terrorism, along with the Turkish invasion and the continuous flow of mercenaries and terrorists. They confirmed their resistance to any foreign interference and rejected any agreement that poses a threat to Libyan security.

Qatar’s Tamim bin Hamad arrived to Tunisia on Monday, February 24 on an official visit to meet with President Kais Saied. This came after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan failed to try to exploit the Arab Maghreb countries –namely Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco – in order to increase his military influence in the region, monitor what is happening in Libya, and send supplies to the Government of National Accord (GNA) in Tripoli.

Qatar worked to arm the political Islamist forces and to militarize the protests that started in eastern Libya during 2011. It raised the slogans of reform and development before turning the situation into a war aimed at handing over Libyan authority to the Brotherhood and its allied terrorist militias linked to al-Qaeda and ISIS.

Tribes smack in the face of Tamim

Libyan human rights defender Mohamed Saleh Gabriel al-Lafi told the Reference that the Libyan tribes have dealt a strong blow to Qatar and Turkey after exposing their role in sabotaging Libya and tampering with its national security and stability. He also noted the successes achieved by the LNA in the battle for Tripoli after Kais Saied’s request to meet under Qatari sponsorship was rejected.

Lafi stressed that Turkey is seeking to mobilize Qatar to cover up its losses caused by the mercenaries, pushing them to confront the LNA in Tripoli, but the Libyan tribes realized this plot and foiled all attempts to thwart the LNA’s moves.