Landmine blast kills 2 women

May 31, (AFP): A landmine blast killed two women and wounded a third on Monday near Mount Sammama, Tunisia’s defence ministry said, blaming “terrorist elements”.

Ministry spokesman Belhassen Oueslati told AFP the two were killed while gathering herbs when the home-made device exploded near the base of Mount Sammama in the Kasserine region, where a military operation is under way.

The third woman was seriously wounded and flown to hospital by military helicopter, he added.

Rival

The rival administration, which itself had international recognition before the rise of Sarraj, controls eastern Libya through militias and units of the national army loyal to controversial General Khalifa Haftar, a sworn opponent of the GNA.

For Mattia Toaldo, a Libya specialist with the European Council on Foreign Relations, the GNA has already lost a “precious two months” with its failure to secure a vote of confidence.

“While he has received several foreign delegations and made visits abroad, he (Sarraj) is invisible inside Libya,” said Toaldo.

Sarraj “has not found the time -- nor the courage -- to address the east of the country. It’s not a question of lacking the military strength, but rather absence of political will and... political initiative”.

Othman Ben Sassi, a former member of the revolution-era National Transitional Council, said “the only achievement of this (GNA) government has been the fact that it has won international support”.

On the ground, “it’s the militias, as before, that control the situation. As for the unity government, it doesn’t control anything,” he said.

The task facing Sarraj, a 56-year-old political newcomer, is “extremely fragile”, according to Kader Abderrahim, a specialist on Islamism at the Paris-based Institute for International and Strategic Affairs.

“It’s imperative that a formal vote (of confidence) be held to head off challenges to his legitimacy,” said Abderrahim.

He must “firstly gather Libyans around a joint project, ensure their security and undertake negotiations with the different militias to lay down their arms. This process could take several months,” he said.