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The young man said he used to work as a driver and a security guard in Ghana, but decided to move abroad for greener pastures.

According to him, very few people survive the journey from Libya to Europe, adding that he felt scared at some point.

I saved GH12000 in five years. It was mainly because of the Libya trip. It has always been a dream to travel abroad. I worked two jobs to get that money, he told SVTV Africa.

They camped seventy-two of us in a ghetto on Thursday and waited until Saturday evening before setting off onto the sea. There were sixty-nine Ghanaians, two Nigerians and one Ivorian.

In my mind, I had left everything to God, but I got scared when I saw the large body of water. While on the sea, Libyan authorities found out and tried to take us back to Libya, but luckily, we found ourselves in a no mans land.

So they couldnt arrest us. A German rescue team told us to wait for an Italian ship to transport us. We waited for five hours until they came and stayed on their ship for a week before arriving in Sicily, he added.

In 2019, the International Organization for Migrations has revealed that some 35,550 Ghanaians were trapped in Libya with the hope of crossing the sea to Europe.

The Organisation said the Ghanaians were part of a larger migrant population of 636,426 who wanted to enter Europe.

A statement by the Catholic Relief Services to commemorate the International Day for Migrants, quoted the IOM as saying that almost 3,400 migrants and refugees died in 2018 globally.

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I regret using my 5-year savings to travel to Libya Italy-based Ghanaian - Pulse Ghana

A three-year old girl has died after being stung by a scorpion, in Tahala, north of Ghat, south west of the country.

Tahala Health Center, stated that the girl was transferred to Ghat General Hospital in a critical condition, before she was transferred to several other health centers due to lack of doctors and unpreparedness of intensive care units.

The girl arrived 5 hours later at the Owainat health center, where the medical team resuscitated her with an intravenous catheter in the neck and gave her the necessary treatments. She remained under observation for 3 hours, the center explained.

The girl was transferred to Ubari General Hospital, and due to the lack of doctors and the lack of readiness of the care unit as well, she was transferred again to Sabha Medical Center where she died, it added.

The center pointed out that this girl is not the first and will not be the last, if a radical solution is not developed, calling on the Ministry of Health and local and international organizations to develop effective solutions to the deteriorating health conditions in southern Libya.

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A girl dies of scorpion sting in southern Libya, raising alarm of health service conditions there - The Libya Observer

Whether we agree or disagree on the revolutions of the so-called Arab Spring, we may agree on one decisive fact that emerged from the repercussions of the post-2011 years, which is that the survival of nations depends on the strength of their national armies, and we can demonstrate this by what is happening around us.

Iraq, which was occupied in 2003 for allegedly possessing weapons of mass destruction, did not fall until after the decision of American military governor Paul Bremer to dissolve the Iraqi army and demobilise its members and affiliates.

This was the catastrophe that destroyed Iraq indefinitely. All that is happening in the internal arena of political conflicts and clashes would have remained confined to the circle of political differences had the Iraqi army not been disbanded. This is because the army is the only entity that was able to maintain stability and political security with its capacity and strength, but now it is simply possible to turn the political table upside down once one of the components of the authority rejects any decision that does not fit with its orientations.

The same situation is being replicated in Yemen to a greater extent and in Syria to a lesser extent, given that it has kept the bulk of its army from falling into the cycle of ethnic conflicts.

In Libya, however, the situation is even bleaker. Libya is a country with a geographical area larger than that of Egypt with a population that does not exceed 10 million people, according to the latest statistics. However, even though it had a sophisticated military arsenal, it did not possess the necessary human resources to manage that arsenal, and this was evident in the conflict that broke out between Libya and Chad on the disputed Ouzo border strip.

Talking about Libya is very important, not only because it has the longest border with Egypt, which spans more than 1,000 km, but also because it has always been a destination for a lot of Egyptian workers.

Therefore, what is going on there remains a priority for Egyptian political decision-makers, who insist that the solution in Libya begins with the exit of all foreign mercenaries and armed men and the provision of support to national institutions, especially the Libyan army the only body that has the right to own arms to protect the homeland.

The unification of Libyas military institutions according to sound national foundations, loyalty to the homeland, working under the elected civilian authority of the Libyan people without interfering in internal political affairs is a goal that all parties must contribute to. Moreover, international expertise should be brought in to achieve this endeavour and rehabilitate the members of these military institutions.

This is because the army is the only guarantor of the principle of national sovereignty and is capable of realising the hopes of these people for stability, development, and a decent life.

Last month, military leaders from western and eastern Libya discussed in a rare meeting in Tripoli naming one chief of staff to unify the countrys military institutions in a precedent that is the first of its kind since the country was divided 11 years ago.

The talks took place between a delegation headed by Lieutenant-General Abdel Razzaq Al-Nadori, Chief of Staff and Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar from the east, and another headed by Lieutenant-General Mohammad Al-Haddad Chief of Staff of the military forces in the west.

The necessity of the exit of mercenaries, foreign fighters, and foreign forces from the country was stressed, and the establishment of a unified force that was agreed upon in the cease-fire agreement between the two parties was also approved. Additionally, the two parties agreed to develop a plan to start conducting border patrols to protect the countrys borders, prevent illegal immigration and organised crime, and combat terrorism, according to a statement issued by the Libyan army.

The progress that has been made in the Libyan security track towards a unified military institution represents a good step on the right path. It may represent a gesture to end the division in Libya.

There is no problem with the presence of parties and differences, but there must be an agreement to uphold the countrys supreme interest and unify its military power, which is the only way for the country to survive.

* Hatem Sadek is a Professor at Helwan University

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Opinion| Unifying the Libyan army - Daily News Egypt

Clashes between armed groups erupted overnight in Tripoli, according to local media reports, the latest violence to hit the Libyan capital.

An Agence France-Presse (AFP) journalist heard gunfire and explosions around 1 a.m. Saturday (11 p.m. GMT) in the city.

The fighting, with light and heavy weapons, occurred in the El Jebs district in the city's south, media reports said.

Tensions have been rising for months in Libya as two prime ministers vie for power, raising fears of renewed conflict two years after a landmark truce ended a ruinous attempt by eastern putschist Gen. Khalifa Haftar to seize Tripoli by force.

Saturday's clashes were between armed groups loyal to Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Mohammed Dbeibah, head of the unity government based in Tripoli, and others following his rival Fathi Bashagha, named in February as prime minister by a parliament based in Libya's east after he made a pact with Haftar.

The fighting ended when another group called the 444 Brigade intervened to mediate, according to Libyan media. There were no immediate reports of casualties.

Bashagha has failed in his attempts to oust Dbeibah, who has repeatedly asserted he will only hand over power to an elected government.

Tensions between armed groups loyal to the rival leaders have increased in recent months in Tripoli. On July 22, fighting in the heart of the city left 16 dead and about 50 wounded.

Once again, two competing governments are vying for control in Libya, already torn by more than a decade of civil war.

Libya has for years been split between rival administrations in the east and the west, each supported by rogue militias and foreign governments. The Mediterranean nation has been in a state of upheaval since the 2011 NATO-backed uprising toppled and later killed longtime dictator Moammar Gadhafi.

But a plan had emerged in the past two years that was meant to put the country on the path toward elections. A U.N.-brokered process installed an interim government in early 2021 to shepherd Libyans to elections that were due late last year.

That government, led by Dbeibah, briefly unified the political factions under heavy international pressure. But the voting never took place, and since then, the plan has unraveled and left the country in crisis.

Lawmakers in Libya's east-based parliament, headed by influential speaker Aguila Saleh, argued that Dbeibahs mandate ended when the interim government failed to hold elections.

They chose Bashagha, an influential former interior minister from the western city of Misrata, as the new prime minister. Their position gained the endorsement of Haftar whose forces control the country's east and most of the south, including major oil facilities.

Dbeibah has refused to step down and factions allied with him in western Libya deeply oppose Haftar. They maintain that Dbeibah, who is also from Misrata with ties to its powerful militias, is working toward holding elections.

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Armed groups clash in Libyan capital raising fears of escalation | Daily Sabah - Daily Sabah

Top Turkish officials received a prominent leader of eastern Libya this week, signaling a significant policy shift in the Libyan civil strife two years after Ankara lent military support to the Tripoli-based government against eastern forces led by Khalifa Hifter.

Aquila Saleh, who heads the eastern-based House of Representatives and is considered an ally of Hifter despite discord between the two, met with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and parliament speaker Mustafa Sentop during a visit to AnkaraAug. 1-2. Abdullah al-Lafi, vice chair of Libyas Presidential Council, accompanied him on the trip.

Saleh sought support for the parliament-approved government in the east, noting that holding parliamentary and presidential elections was its priority and Turkeys backing was important to achieve peace and stability in Libya. Sentop, for his part, stressed Turkey saw Libya as an inseparable whole and did not discriminate between regions. The Turkish parliaments Libya Friendship Group is planning a visit to Libya, including the east, he said.

Power struggles have kept Libya fractured since the warring parties sealed a cease-fire deal in 2020. The country ended up with two rival governments after plans to hold elections in December 2021 failed. The Saleh-led parliament appointed a new prime minister Fathi Bashagha in March, but the head of the internationally recognized interim government in Tripoli, Abdul Hamid Dbeibah, refused to cede power before elections. Bashagha has been unable to move into Tripoli, prevented by armed groups loyal to Dbeibah.

Saleh has been known for his rejection of two crucial agreements that the now-defunct Government of National Accord signed with Turkey in 2019. The first allowed for the deployment of Turkish troops to train and support Libyan forces, while the second delineated maritime borders between the two countries as Ankara sought to strengthen its hand in gas exploration disputes in the Eastern Mediterranean. Thus, Ankaras embrace of Saleh is underlain by hopes of convincing the House of Representatives to ratify the agreements.

Turkeys invitation to Saleh and his eventual trip to Ankara stemmed from changing dynamics in Libya that have forced the parties to adjust their postures.

Ankara could ill-afford continued hostility with eastern Libya after the opposing parties engaged in talks on forming a unity government and reunifying Libyan institutions under a roadmap resulting from the UN-sponsored agreement they signed in Geneva on Oct. 23, 2020. In a sign of a new beginning, Turkeys parliament created a friendship group to advance ties with its Libyan counterparts in April 2021. And after the emergence of a rival government in eastern Libya, Ankara sought to preserve an appearance of neutrality in the crisis. In fact, neither of the contenders was objectionable to Ankara. Dbeibah was already an ally, while Bashagha, who had worked closely with Turkey while serving as interior minister in Tripoli during the Turkish-backed defense of the capital against Hifters forces in 2019 and 2020, raised hope he could help Ankara reconcile with the east.

Turkeys ambassador to Tripoli, Kenan Yilmaz, met with Saleh in al-Qubah in January and verbally invited him to visit. Later that month, he traveled to Benghazi, Hifters stronghold, accompanied by Turkish businessmen. In his meetings there, Yilmaz discussed a number of prospects, including the return of Turkish entrepreneurs to eastern Libya to finish projects interrupted by the war and assume new ones, the reopening of the Turkish consulate in Benghazi and the resumption of Turkish Airlines flights to the city. In June, the envoy delivered Sentops official invitation to Saleh. Turkey, he said, attributed great importance to the visit in terms of discussing all aspects of our ties and other political issues.

Nevertheless, Turkeys rapprochement with the easterners does not mean it has withdrawn its support for Dbeibah. Such a move, the argument goes, would make it easier for Bashagha to enter Tripoli and take control of the government. Despite having its own agenda in Libya, Turkey has been careful to be in rapport with the United States and Britain. Washington has been pressing for elections without going into debate on which government is the legitimate one. Free and fair elections are the only means to establishing a national government with legitimacy, US Ambassador to Tripoli Richard Norland said after a meeting with Libyas foreign minister last week.

In an interview with Al-Monitor, Mohamed Eljarh, director of the consultancy firm Libya Desk, said he had been told by aides of Saleh that Saleh's mission in Ankara [was] very clear: to convince the Turkish government to support and recognize Bashagha. He added, For Saleh, if no progress is achieved on that goal, there will be no progress on any other file, including the constitutional track or elections.

While the prospect of Ankara dumping Dbeibah appears unrealistic at present, Eljarh said, I believe Ankara only continued to recognize and somewhat support Dbeibah as a negotiationand bargaining chip. In his current status, Dbeibah cannot offer much to Turkey. Also, Turkey is very interested in normalizing relations with eastern Libya, and Dbeibah cannot offer them that. Bashagha is better positioned to offer an opening for Turkey in eastern Libya through his alliance with Saleh and Hifter.

And could Saleh step back from his rejection of Ankaras two deals with Tripoli? According to Eljarh, The success of Saleh will depend on what he could offer the Turks, including normalization of relations and the potential for guarantees on respecting the maritime and security agreements signed with Turkey.

Whether Salehs dialogue with Ankara has Hifters blessing remains unclear. There has been speculation that Hifter has reverted to his own plans after Bashaghas failure to assert control in Tripoli and secure access to the central banks coffers and that his relationship with Saleh is deteriorating.

In mid-July, Dbeibah replaced the veteran head of the National Oil Corporation (NOC), Mustafa Sanallah, after which Hifters forces swiftly ended a three-month blockade of several oil fields and terminals. Some media outlets reported claims that Hifters son Saddam and representatives of Dbeibah had secretly struck a deal for Sanallahs removal and the reopening of oil terminals, which would call Hifters support for Bashagha into question.

Asked about Hifters position on Salehs trip to Ankara, Eljarh said, This is not really clear to me, to be honest. Hifter has been playing his own game recently, away from the alliance with Bashagha and Saleh. [Hifter and Dbeibah] made a deal on the NOC, but it is not clear if it will translate into a bigger political deal. So, for now, Hifter is still in the political alliance with Bashagha and Saleh, but also entertaining some cooperation and deals with Dbeibah. Double game.

As for the balance between various militia forces in Tripoli, there have been certain shifts in Bashaghas favor, but Dbeibah being the man controlling the money taps retains the loyalty of groups paid by the Interior Ministry.

On July 21-22, Tripoli was rocked by deadly clashes between the Deterrent Forces, known also as RADA, and the Presidential Guard, both affiliated with government bodies. The fighting resulted in RADA expanding its influence zone. The leader of the Presidential Guard asserted allegiance to Dbeibah, while RADA was noncommittal.

Some believe Bashagha might seize on the clashes to enlist the support of armed forces in Tripoli, including RADA. Interior Minister Khaled Mazen, a former aide of Bashagha, was dismissed for failing to stop the fighting. The 444 Brigade, affiliated with the Defense Ministry, was accused of siding with RADA instead of trying to halt the clashes. Forces from Zintan loyal to Usama Juwaili, a military commander supporting Bashagha, were deployed near Tripoli during the fighting. Back in June, Tripoli saw similar clashes between militia backing Bashagha and those loyal to Dbeibeh.

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After years of hostility, Turkey forges ties with eastern Libya - Al-Monitor