Libya: Tobruk-based parliament promotes army general to field marshal

The commander of the Libyan National Army (LNA) was on Wednesday promoted to field marshal by parliamentarians in the east of the country.

General Khalifa Haftar, is known to be at odds with the UN-backed government which has allocated the defence portfolio to another officer, Ibrahim al-Barghathi.

Militia-backed government claimed to have seceded power to the unity government in what they said then was in in an effort to ‘ preserve the higher interests of the country and prevent bloodshed and divisions.’

But cracks never had really been sealed, Haftar who supports a rival administration in the country’s east is accused of being behind the recent seizure of four oil ports in the country putting plans to resume oil exports in disarray.

Speculation is that General Haftar’s promotion is a provocative move levelledt towards the internationally-recognized government of national unity located in the west of Libya.