Libya's rogue general Khalifa Haftar released a statement this weekend saying that the people of Libya have given him a "mandate" to "crush jihadist militants in the country," according to Agence France Presse.
“We have accepted the mandate of the people...The (people) have given their instructions ... We pledge not to abandon this mission until Libya is purged of terrorists and extremists and all those who back them,” Haftar said in the statement released by his self-declared "supreme military council" that is based near the eastern city of Benghazi.
Thousands of Libyans rallied in Benghazi and Tripoli over the weekend in support of Haftar and his campaign to oust all Islamists from the country. The rallies are considered some of the largest demonstrations the country has witnessed since the overthrow of former dictator Moammar Gaddafi.
Many Libyans are growing increasingly frustrated with what they consider the dysfunctional, corrupt central government that was installed after Gaddafi's overthrow.
Haftar previously called for the establishment of an emergency cabinet earlier last week in order to prevent Libya from turning into what he has described as a "terrorist hub."
Haftar also launched his offensive on Islamists in Libya on May 16 in Benghazi, and at least 79 people have been killed thus far.
The government considers Haftar as an "outlaw" that is attempting to stage a coup, but Haftar has reiterated time and time again that he "has not interest in power."
The government considers Haftar as an "outlaw" that is attempting to stage a coup, but Haftar has reiterated time and time again that he "has not interest in power."
The ex-general defected from the Libyan army in the late 1980s and spent over 20 years in exile in America before returning to his country during the 2011 revolution.
