Khalifa Haftar back to Benghazi after treatment in Paris
Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, the commander who dominates eastern Libya, returned to Benghazi on Thursday after he received medical treatment in Paris.
A spokesman for his forces said on Wednesday that Field Marshal Haftar had been in Paris for about two weeks, where his spokesman said he had been treated after feeling unwell.
From Paris, he flew to Cairo for talks with officials from Egypt, his main backer.
Field Marshal Haftar, 75, has long been regarded as a contender for national power and reports about his health sparked rumours in Libya, including claims that he was gravely ill and that rivals were manoeuvring to replace him.
His Libyan National Army is aligned with a parliament and a largely powerless government that has been based in eastern Libya since 2014. They control most of the east, including the majority of its oilfields and ports, and parts of the south.
Field Marshal Haftar and others in the east have opposed the internationally recognised government in the capital, Tripoli, frustrating UN-led attempts to reunify the country.
The National Army spokesman Ahmed Al Mismari said that on his return, Field Marshal Haftar would take part in celebrations marking the Dignity campaign, the military operation he began in 2014 to drive opponents from Benghazi.
He declared victory in July 2017 but sporadic fighting continued until the end of the year.
Streets in Benghazi and the town of Rajma, where Field Marshal Haftar has his base, were decorated with posters in preparation for his return.