Libya, a war of foreign interests

Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry spoke on Friday with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi about the Libyan crisis in the light of successive calls for a de-escalation and a political solution. This issue was also at the centre of negotiations between the leader of the National Accord Government (NAG), Fayez Sarraj and the Qatari Foreign Minister, Muhammad bin Abdurrahman al-Thani, who after a meeting in Istanbul announced their intention to boost bilateral cooperation between the two countries. 

At this meeting, both parties stressed the need to find a political solution to the Libyan crisis within the framework of the Libyan Agreement signed in December 2015, the United Nations resolutions or the Berlin Conference, according to a communiqué issued by Sarraj's communications office. The Libyan National Army (LNA) - led by Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar - is supported by Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Sudan and Russia; while the Tripoli government, backed by the Muslim Brotherhood and internationally recognized by the United Nations, receives military aid from Turkey and Qatar. 

Meanwhile, the head of the Algerian foreign ministry, Sabri Bogadoum, explained that the Algerian initiative to find a solution to the political, economic and social crisis plaguing the North African nation is based on "three principles" and is "not based on competition with other proposed initiatives such as the Berlin process".  These principles would be - according to the minister - to try to resolve the conflict peacefully without resorting to force, a ceasefire and the beginning of negotiations with the rejection of any kind of foreign interference. 

In an interview with the television channel Russia Today, on the occasion of his working visit to Moscow, Bogadoum stressed that the Libyan conflict is a major threat to his country's national security. "We share thousands of kilometers of land borders and our family and tribal relations require us to deal with this issue in a special way.  He also reaffirmed Algeria's readiness to host any negotiations to achieve peace in its neighbouring country and called on the warring parties to preserve the unity and sovereignty of the country and to adhere to a political solution, rather than to rely on certain actions that could lead to further division in the North African nation. 

In recent weeks, Algeria and Tunisia have strengthened their bilateral relations in order to deal with the insecurity caused by the Libyan conflict. In addition to the troops loyal to Haftar and Fayez Sarraj, a number of actors such as organised crime networks and armed militias are involved.  This situation is exacerbated by the porous borders and structural insecurity present in the region. Poverty and food insecurity, underdevelopment and corruption have been installed on the doorsteps of these two countries.   To these events we must add the multidimensional crises caused by terrorism and transnational organized crime. Both nations fear that this situation will increase the fragilities present in the region or that these threats will be multiplied by the presence of foreign powers. 

In this complex scenario, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoglu, has announced that his country has signed a military cooperation agreement with Niger, further increasing tension in a war-torn region. According to the Turkish Agency of Anatolia, the protocol of material delivery, the protocol of implementation of financial aid, the agreement of military cooperation and the agreement of sports and youth cooperation were signed during the visit. The National Accord Government has concluded the signing of this document, the details of which have not been disclosed. Thus, according to various local media, the Turkish minister has decided to support various countries on the African continent, especially the Sahel states, to be more proactive in seeking a solution to the conflict in Libya. 

Ibrahim Sahed, a member of the Advisory Council of the Sarraj Government, said in statements collected by the digital Arabi 21 that "this was to be expected, since Niger is suffering a lot at all levels, due to the cessation of its relations with Libya, especially in the economy. With the signing of this agreement, Ankara will be an ally and support". According to Sahed, this document will allow the Eurasian nation to have direct access to the heart of Africa, which is why, in his opinion, this military agreement could pave the way to curbing French influence in the region. 

Ankara has signed this agreement with Niger, while increasing its presence in Libya. Over the last few months, more than 16,000 Syrian mercenaries have arrived in this country to join the ranks of the GNA, which is joined by other fighters from Yemen or Sudan, all financed by Ankara and Doha. 

The United States Africa Command (USAFRICOM or AFRICOM) has accused Russia's Wagner Group of involvement in the Libyan conflict. On Friday, they released a series of satellite images accusing Russia of supplying Wagner's forces operating in Russia with "fighter planes, military armored vehicles, air defense systems and supplies," according to the digital Middle East Eye. An increased Russian presence in Libya could completely change the game scenario and have direct consequences on decisions in Europe and NATO, among others.

Russia has repeatedly denied reports issued by the United States accusing the Wagner group of operating in Libya. However, a confidential U.N. report announced in May that the group had between 800 and 1,200 military contractors on the ground, including snipers and specialized military equipment, according to the newspaper mentioned above. A month ago, AFRICOM released a series of images showing "the presence of Russian aircraft in Libyan airspace," one of them taking off from the Jufra airbase and another of a MiG-29 aircraft operating in the vicinity of the strategic city of Sirte.  

To this political and social crisis we must add the health crisis caused by the appearance of COVID-19. This Friday, Sirte's security director, Dean Jamal Atayallah, regretted that this pathogen had reached the city of Sirte.  Previously, sources from the medical committee to combat the coronavirus had announced that a new case had been registered in the area of Al Jufra.