11 Apr – 17 Apr: Reports of Haftar in French hospital while HoR accept HSC reconciliation invitation

Apr 17, 2018 | Libyan actors

On 10 April, unconfirmed reports began circulating that that Libyan National Army (LNA) commander Khalifa Haftar, after losing consciousness in Benghazi, was rushed to Amman in Jordan then transferred to the Val-de-Grace hospital in Paris, France. He is said to have suffered a cerebral haemorrhage. A torrent of contradictory reports on Haftar’s health quickly followed, ranging from LNA spokesperson Ahmed al-Mismari stating that Haftar is alive and well and due to return to Libya, to reports on 13 April that he had died. A tweet from UNSMIL on 13 April sought to allay rumours of his death, stating that UN Envoy Ghassan Salame had spoken to Haftar that day. The reality of the situation remains unclear at present.

On 11 April, the House of Representatives (HoR) President Agilah Saleh accepted the invitation of the new head of the Tripoli-based High State Council, Khaled Mishri, to meet for reconciliation talks at some point in the following days. Saleh said he accepted the invitation in the interest of reaching a consensus that would amend the Libyan Political Agreement and conclude the current political crisis.