Launched TUESDAY April 1, 2020 on www.zReportage.com Story #730: HOLDING BY A THREAD: Libya Ceasefire Falters: New clashes between the battling sides in Libya are threatening to tip the now six year conflict into a dangerous new phase of fighting just as the country anticipates the spread of coronavirus. The two sides in a conflict that has raged since 2014 briefly agreed last weekend to a humanitarian truce, but within 24 hours fighting resumed at an even more intense pace. The battle for Tripoli has become one of the planet's most internationalized wars with different countries arming either side of the fight. General Haftar is helped by the UAE or United Arab Emirates and also backed by Egypt and France. His fighters include Russian, Sudanese and Syrian mercenaries. Meanwhile the GNA, which is recognized by the UN as Libya's official government, receives military support from Turkey. Both sides seem to believe that with international actors distracted by the coronavirus pandemic now is the right moment to try to take decisive steps in the civil war. The upsurge in fighting, probably the worst since the current phase of the civil war began, came as the first coronavirus case was revealed in the country and led to yet another UN security council call for both sides to end the fighting. Jens Laerke, the spokesman of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) stated recently ''In Libya, the UN fears that a possible outbreak would overwhelm the already stretched humanitarian aid capacity,'' he stressed. He said the UN is supporting authorities in the country for COVID-19 preparedness and response efforts.
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Fighters of the UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) fire at Libyan National Army (LNA) forces at Al-Nahr frontline. The UN-backed Government of National Accord on Sunday said the rival east-based army attacked a residential area in Tripoli, killing and injuring a number of civilians.
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A soldier of the UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) takes cover from Libyan National Army (LNA) snipers on a frontline in Tripoli, Libya.
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A fighter of the UN-backed Libyan government forces fires at Libyan National Army (LNA) troops in frontline. Libya's United Nations-backed government on Monday accused the rival east-based army of ''intransigence'' by refusing to agree to a ceasefire proposal during the Libyan 5+5 Joint Military Commission (JMC) talks in Geneva.
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Fighters of the UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) take positions during an exchange of fire with east-based Libyan National Army (LNA) troops at Al-Nahr frontline. LNA has been leading a military campaign since April 2019 in and around Tripoli, attempting to take over the city and topple the UN-backed Government of National Accord under Fayez al-Sarraj.
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Government of National Accord fighters fire at Libyan National Army (LNA) troops in Ain Zara frontline. Libyan National Army (LNA) has been leading a military campaign since April 2019 in and around Tripoli, attempting to take over the city and topple the UN-backed Government of National Accord.
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A fighter of Government of National Accord is seen in Ain Zara frontline. Libyan National Army (LNA) has been leading a military campaign since April 2019 in and around Tripoli, attempting to take over the city and topple the UN-backed Government of National Accord.
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A fighter of the UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) takes cover in an armoured vehicle from east-based Libyan National Army (LNA) fire at Al-Nahr frontline. LNA has been leading a military campaign since April 2019 in and around Tripoli, attempting to take over the city and topple the UN-backed Government of National Accord under Fayez al-Sarraj.
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A UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) fighter wearing face mask fires at East-based Libyan National Army (LNA) forces during clashes at Ain-Zara frontline. The Minister of Health of Libya's UN-backed government, Ehmid Bin Omar, on Tuesday announced the first novel coronavirus infection in the country.
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Fighters of the UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) run to take cover from east-based Libyan National Army (LNA) fire at Al-Nahr frontline. LNA has been leading a military campaign since April 2019 in and around Tripoli, attempting to take over the city and topple the UN-backed Government of National Accord under Fayez al-Sarraj.
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A soldier of the UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) is seen on a frontline.
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A fighter of the UN-backed Libyan government forces sits in frontline. Libya's United Nations-backed government on Monday accused the rival east-based army of ''intransigence'' by refusing to agree to a ceasefire proposal during the Libyan 5+5 Joint Military Commission (JMC) talks in Geneva.
© Amru Salahuddien/Xinhua via ZUMA Wire

Displaced children fill water containers from a well in a building complex under construction, where hundreds of displaced families live. According to the data of UN High Commissioner for refugees (UNHCR), more than 350,000 Libyans are currently internally displaced.
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A Libyan Red Crescent (LRC) worker transfers International Red Cross aid at LRC headquarters.
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Libyan fisherman AL-MAHDY is seen in his fishing boat on the sea. Libya's United Nations-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) is proposing measures to support planned improvements to regulations on hunting, selling, and exporting of tuna in 2020.
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Displaced people are seen in a building complex under construction, where hundreds of displaced families live, in Tripoli, Libya, March 2, 2020. According to the data of UN High Commissioner for refugees (UNHCR), more than 350,000 Libyans are currently internally displaced.
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A displaced man and a boy are seen near a bombed site in a building complex under construction, where hundreds of displaced families live, in Tripoli, Libya, March 2, 2020. According to the data of UN High Commissioner for refugees (UNHCR), more than 350,000 Libyans are currently internally displaced.
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A fighter of the UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) takes position during clashes with east-based Libyan National Army (LNA) forces in Ain Zara frontline in Tripoli, Libya, Feb. 29, 2020. The east-based army under General Khalifa Haftar has been leading a military campaign since April 2019 in and around Tripoli, attempting to take over the city and topple the GNA.
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Fighters of the UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) take positions during an exchange of fire with east-based Libyan National Army (LNA) troops at Al-Nahr frontline in Tripoli, Libya, on Feb. 22, 2020. LNA has been leading a military campaign since April 2019 in and around Tripoli, attempting to take over the city and topple the UN-backed Government of National Accord under Fayez al-Sarraj.
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A fighter of the UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) passes through a hole in a building at Al-Nahr frontline in Tripoli, Libya, on Feb. 22, 2020. The east-based Libyan National Army (LNA) has been leading a military campaign since April 2019 in and around Tripoli, attempting to take over the city and topple the UN-backed Government of National Accord under Fayez al-Sarraj.
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UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) fighters wearing face masks take positions during clashes with East-based Libyan National Army (LNA) at Ain-Zara frontline in Tripoli, Libya, March 25, 2020. The Minister of Health of Libya's UN-backed government, Ehmid Bin Omar, on Tuesday announced the first novel coronavirus infection in the country.
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A UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) fighter with a mask poses at Ain-Zara frontline in Tripoli, Libya, March 25, 2020. The Minister of Health of Libya's UN-backed government, Ehmid Bin Omar, on Tuesday announced the first novel coronavirus infection in the country.
© Amru Salahuddien/Xinhua via ZUMA Wire