New coup attempt in Libya. The men of retired general Khalifa Haftar, declared a coup plotter by the Tripoli government, attacked Islamist forces in Benghazi on Friday, since then causing 79 deaths, while yesterday - perhaps in collaboration with Zintan's militias - they besieged the Libyan Parliament , asking that it stop its work and hand over powers to a Constituent Assembly to define the text of the new Libyan Charter.
Haftar's spokesman clarified that "the target of the attack are the Islamists who protect the extremist militias that are afflicting the nation, and the Parliament that protects them". Tripoli's parliament is divided between Islamists and non-Islamists, who disagree over the appointment of a new government and new elections.
On Sunday evening, the Libyan government announced that the balance of the clashes following the attack on the Parliament in Tripoli is two dead and 55 injured. At least 20 deputies and public officials were allegedly taken hostage. Flights over the eastern city of Cyrenaica, cradle of the revolt which in 2011 led to the fall and death of Gaddafi, were banned.
According to some observers, the possible connection between Zintan's militias and the "retired" general Khalifa Haftar could be precisely the fight against Islamic fundamentalism which in Benghazi has its spearhead in the jihadist organization Ansar al-Sharia, inserted by the USA on the list of terrorist organizations with more than likely links to the al Qaeda network.
"Before the situation gets out of control and Libya takes the path of conflict in an irreversible way - said the Italian Foreign Minister, Federica Mogherini - the international community, from the European Union to the UN, must mobilize all the instruments of diplomacy so that the transition to democracy is accomplished successfully, with the involvement of all parties".
