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President Donald Trump met this week with Khalifa Haftar, the Libyan warlord who is fighting to conquer the capital Tripoli, the White House announced on Friday.
Trump and Haftar spoke on Monday "to discuss ongoing efforts in the fight against terrorism and the need to achieve peace and stability in Libya," according to the White House press office.
According to the statement, Trump "recognized the important role of Marshal Haftar in the fight against terrorism and the securing of Libya's oil resources."
In their phone call, "the two men discussed a shared vision of Libya's transition to a democratic and stable political system".
The White House did not explain why this had delayed the announcement of the phone call.
Haftar launched an offensive on April 4 to seize Tripoli, threatening to plunge the North African country into an even deeper turmoil.
Haftar, regarded by his allies as Egypt and the United Arab Emirates as a bulwark against the Islamists, said he wanted to seize the capital, now controlled by a government recognized by the government. UN and a group of militias.
The military commander supports a rival administration based in eastern Libya that refuses to recognize the authority of the Tripoli government.
A British offer to the UN Security Council to demand a ceasefire in Libya was opposed Thursday by Russia and the United States.
Russia insisted not to criticize Haftar in the draft resolution while the US said they wanted more time to examine the situation, diplomats said.
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