July 2020. Libya’s UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) has regained full control of Tripoli after recapturing the capital’s airport. Gen Khalifa Haftar’s forces have been besieging the city since April 2019. But intensified military support from Turkey helped government forces drive Gen Haftar’s Russian-backed troops back from the frontlines. A new diplomatic effort is under way to try to restart talks on a lasting ceasefire in the oil-rich nation. The recapture of the international airport in Tripoli – long out of use – is the strongest symbolic victory for the Libyan government so far, reports the BBC’s Arab affairs editor Sebastian Usher. Libya has been torn by violence since long-time ruler Col Muammar Gaddafi was deposed and killed in 2011 by Nato-backed forces.
Jul 2020. The Libya Conflict Part 1
