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Libyan army chief Khalifa Haftar ordered his forces to advance on Tripoli, the seat of the internationally recognized unity government. By Abdullah DOMA (AFP / File)
The UN Security Council will meet in camera on Friday to discuss the situation in Libya after the leader of the eastern forces in the war-torn North African country has ordered his troops to advance on Tripoli.
Britain has called for an emergency meeting on Thursday, diplomats said following the order of Khalifa Haftar, a key actor opposed to the government in the capital.
Haftar's forces announced on Wednesday that they were preparing for an offensive in the west of the country to purge it of "terrorists and mercenaries", seizing key areas of the south of the country from the beginning. of the year.
"The time has come," said Haftar in an audio message released Thursday by his self-proclaimed Libyan national army, in which he pledged to spare civilians and "state institutions".
The meeting is scheduled for 15:00 (19:00 GMT).
Tensions arose as Secretary-General Antonio Guterres made his first visit to Libya as UN chief in anticipation of a conference scheduled for later this month to chart the way of elections.
"I am deeply concerned about the military movement in Libya and the risk of confrontation," Guterres tweeted.
The United States and its allies issued a joint statement urging "all parties to immediately defuse tensions".
"Our governments will oppose any military action in Libya and hold any Libyan faction accountable for precipitating a new civil conflict," said the United Arab Emirates, France, France and Britain.
The elections in Libya are intended to turn the page of the years of chaos that followed the overthrow of Moamer Kadhafi in 2011, which led to a fierce rivalry between two governments fighting over control of this oil-rich country.
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