The commander of the Libyan National Army, Field Marshall Khalifa Haftar, is being treated in a hospital in Paris, exclusive sources told Asharq Al-Awsat.
The French Foreign Ministry, however, refrained from disclosing any information about Haftar and referred journalists investigating his case, including Asharq Al-Awsat, to the Libyan commander’s office.
French media, including Le Monde newspaper and L’Express magazine, have already confirmed the presence of Haftar in a Paris hospital, quoting senior diplomatic sources as saying that the Libyan official was transferred from Amman to Paris on April 10.
According to available reports published in L’Express and Le Monde, Haftar had suffered a brain hemorrhage, which necessitated his transfer from the Jordanian capital to Paris by private plane; but the complications were no longer life-threatening.
Meanwhile, conflicting reports about Haftar’s health sparked a wave of rumors and speculation in Libya.
Egyptian Journalist Mustafa Bakri announced Haftar’s death on his Twitter account, before denying the rumor. He said that he reported the news from the Libyan media.
But the Libyan armed forces have remained silent over the health of the marshal, while sources confirmed he was “already receiving treatment in Paris.”
Speaking to Reuters, a Libyan source close to Haftar, who asked not to be named, said the commander was expected to return to Libya over the weekend. Other Libyan sources had said that Haftar was flown to Jordan and then France earlier this week.
On a different note, more than one million people are in need of humanitarian assistance in Libya, the UN refugee agency said, noting that civilians, especially those who have fled their homes, remain very vulnerable.
“1.1 million people, including refugees and migrants, who are the most vulnerable, need humanitarian assistance,” said the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in a statement published late Thursday.
