LNA advances towards Tripoli raise tensions

International and national reports suggest an intensification of tensions in Western Libya, and more specifically in the Tripoli area due to advances of General Haftar’s Libyan National Army (LNA). According to Voice of America, the Tripoli-based Government of National Accord (GNA) put on 3 April  Tripoli under ‘military alert’. Media reports indicate that a brief fighting erupted between LNA forces and a military force based South of Tripoli the same day. The sudden advance of Eastern-Libyan armed forces comes as a surprise given the recent positive political developments which had taken place over the past few days. The confrontation, which occurred at the same time than the visit to Western Libya of UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, could undermine mediation efforts in Libya.