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Khalifa Hafter presents himself as the savior of Libya in the face of a growing jihadist threat, but his opponents accuse him of seeking to establish a new military dictatorship. By Abdullah DOMA (AFP / File)
Marshal Khalifa Haftar, whose forces are struggling to seize the capital Tripoli, is widely regarded as a hawk seeking to gain more power in Libya, ravaged by violence.
The 75-year-old former army officer presents himself as the savior of Libya in the face of a growing jihadist threat.
But his opponents accuse him of seeking to establish a new military dictatorship in this country of North Africa, rich in oil.
A controversial but key actor in Libya since the chaos after the impeachment and badbadination of dictator Moamer Gaddafi in 2011, Haftar brings together all its opponents under two labels: "terrorists and mercenaries".
Its self-proclaimed Libyan national army launched an offensive this week to seize Tripoli, the seat of the government of the UN-backed national accord led by Fayez al-Sarraj.
Haftar and his forces support a parallel administration in the east, and Sarraj ordered the loyalist forces of the GNA to prepare for "facing all threats."
Dedicated to "cleansing" the land of jihadists, Haftar's forces repelled radical militia in the eastern city of Benghazi in 2017 after a deadly three-year battle called Operation Dignity.
After being hospitalized in Paris for two weeks in early 2018, fueling speculation about his health, Haftar returned to Benghazi with great fanfare in April.
Military power
To reaffirm his military weight, he quickly launched a successful operation to oust Islamist militias from the city of Derna, which was the only part of eastern Libya out of his control.
Taking advantage of this success, its forces launched a new offensive in January in the oil-rich desert of the south of the country, apparently aimed at eliminating "terrorists" and criminal groups.
They quickly invaded the largest city in the region and a major oil field without a fight, before turning to the capital this month.
Originally from Cyrenaica in eastern Libya, Haftar underwent military training in the Soviet Union before taking part in the 1969 coup that brought Gaddafi to power.
He served in Gaddafi's armed forces, but fell out of favor when he was captured by troops from Chad during the unfortunate conflict that pitted Libya between 1978 and 1987 to its southern neighbor.
Tripoli denied that Haftar was part of the Libyan army and he languished in prison until Washington granted him political asylum.
After more than two decades in the United States, where he had a reputation for working for the CIA, he returned home in 2011 to take part in the uprising against Gaddafi.
Critics say Haftar owes its military success to undeclared foreign donors, including the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, France and more recently Saudi Arabia.
Three French soldiers were killed in a helicopter crash in 2016 in Libya, while they were participating in an intelligence mission of the Haftar forces.
The UN-backed Tripoli government has described their presence as a "violation" of Libya's sovereignty.
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