On 15 March, Libyan National Army (LNA) Commander Khalifa Haftar declared during a live-fire combat demonstration – as part of the large-scale ‘Dignity Shield’ manoeuvre in the Sirte area – that the ‘political track’ has been given more chances than it deserves, with no signs of consensual solutions on the horizon that would lead to a just peace settlement and result in political stability. Haftar said that the LNA is ready and ‘will not hesitate to take bold decisions to confront anyone who wants to manipulate the country’s destiny’.
Haftar claimed that the LNA will always remain biased to the will of the Libyans, saying it is at their disposal and all the time ready ‘to take the necessary measures without anyone’s permission to preserve the stability of the country’. He stressed that the LNA is one and it is the army of the entire people of Libya, without distinction between one city and another or between one tribe and another.
Haftar also called for the withdrawal of all foreign troops and mercenaries from Libya, saying the LNA would not lay down its arms before then. He added that peace will not be achieved unless all foreign forces and mercenaries have left Libya.