Libya: Al-Wefaq Hires Militias in State Institutions, Report

This morning, a report by Al-Arabiya news revealed that the Al-Wefaq Forces in Libya had pushed to employ members of its militia in high positions within the state apparatus to reward them for the battles against the national army.

The step is seen by observers as a move to enhance the dominance of these armed militias over the decision-making positions in Tripoli and its involvement into state institutions.

The report was based on a leaked documentary published by Libyan media, which included a note from the Chief of Staff of the National Accord Forces to the Libyan Investment Authority, requesting the employment of 12 militants from the so-called "Volcano of Anger" brigade from the participants in the recent battles against the Libyan army.

Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov affirmed that all parties involved in the crisis of the war-torn country have realized that there is no military solution to the conflict in Libya, "which was strongly believed by Russia from the beginning".

In statements during his visit to Damascus, which ended this morning, Lavrov expressed his support for the Egyptian initiative for a ceasefire, saying: “In recent months, initiatives have been put forward on declaring an immediate ceasefire, launching negotiations, and starting to implement the decisions of the Berlin Conference. Another example is the Cairo Declaration. We actively support this initiative and believe that it is necessary to immediately start implementing it from a firm ceasefire without any preconditions."

This came while a third session of the Libyan negotiations began this morning in the Moroccan city of Bouznika with the possibility of further two-day extension, amid modest hopes pinned on their results by several representatives in the Libyan parliament.

While many officials of the Libyan Supreme Council of State (the participant in the negotiations, which is controlled by the Brotherhood) welcomed the course of the dialogue so far, several representatives questioned its feasibility and the possibility of reaching results that can be applied on the ground.

The preliminary round of consultations between the delegations of the Supreme Council of State and members of Parliament began on Sunday in the city of Bouznika, about 40 km south of the Moroccan capital, Rabat to discuss unresolved issues for the war-torn country, especially the ceasefire and sovereign positions.

In parallel, the transfer of mercenaries, by Turkey to Libyan territories continues. Yesterday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported that 109 Syrian mercenaries had arrived on a plane from Turkey.