Libya conflict to go on as long as arms pouring into country: Analyst

Several multinational meetings have recently been held to negotiate a way out of years of conflict in Libya; none of them, however, has culminated in an agreement or a solution. According to a political analyst, as long as the rival groups are being provided with weapons, there would be no end to the conflict in the North African country.

Former lecturer at West Chester University, Lawrence Davidson, believes that there would be no end to the fighting in Libya “as long as it’s fueled.”

“As long as arms [are] pouring into both sides, you are going to get this fighting,” Davidson told Press TV’s The Debate program on Friday.

He said the first step toward stopping the conflict is to “place sanctions to stop the arms coming in.”

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Back in December, the United Nations Security Council called on all countries to implement an arms embargo on the North African nation.

It also urged all countries “not to intervene in the conflict or to take measures that would exacerbate the conflict” and expressed concern at “the growing involvement of mercenaries.”

A long-awaited UN report, however, said recently that UN member states, Jordan, Turkey and the UAE have been systematically arming Haftar's forces.

Davidson further argued that “the deeper problem is, I think, the West particularly, as well as its allies now in the [Persian] Gulf that have seem to commit themselves to the notion of regime change.”

He also believed that neither side in Libya “really wants a ceasefire,” because that “would bring the other into a sort of competitive influence.”

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When asked about ambitions perused by Saudi Arabia, UAE and Egypt in Libya, Davidson said, “They want to control resources” in the oil-rich country.

Haftar, who is mainly backed by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, launched an offensive in April to capture Tripoli and unseat the Seraj government; however, his forces have been bogged down near the capital.

Haftar's eastern-based Libyan National Army (LNA) is backed by Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates.

Political analyst, Hatam Yavuz, who was also talking to Press TV, said the UN-recognized government of Prime Minister Fayez al-Serraj “is trying to negotiate a settlement to bring back the other factions together or on a same pool of leadership.”

“But Haftar, unfortunately, is becoming egotistical, arrogant and non-compliant by other world leaders" including Turkey and Russia,” he said. 

Hatar also said that former dictator Qaddafi “did a very good job in the country and that “Libya was one of the top free countries on the planet.”

The oil-rich county has been plunged into chaos since 2011, when a popular uprising and a NATO intervention led to the ouster of long-time dictator, Muammar Gaddafi, and his execution by unruly fighters.

Gaddafi's ouster created a huge power vacuum, leading to chaos and the emergence of rival militant groups.

Since 2014, the country has been divided between two rival camps; the internationally-recognized government in Tripoli of National Accord (GNA) in the capital Tripoli and the rebel militia groups commanded by renegade General Khalifa Haftar in the eastern city of Tobruk.

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