In an article for Bloomberg published on 11 June, Ghaith Shennib and Hatem Mohareb discuss the campaign launched by General Khalifa Haftar in Derna, Eastern Libya. Over the course of the past weeks, the armed forces led by Haftar, the Libyan National Army (LNA), have intensified their assaults on the Eastern city. The most recent media reports suggest that the LNA could soon be in complete control of the city. Consequently, the capture of Derna could increase Haftar’s power and influence. According to the authors, such a turn of events could also undermine the current efforts towards elections as the capture of Derna is likely to exacerbate tribal tensions.
General Haftar’s assault on Derna likely to aggravate tensions