Marshal Khalifa Haftar’s camp is playing verbal escalation after the failure of its offensive against the Libyan capital, confirming on Tuesday its agreement for a possible direct intervention by the Egyptian army against an increase in Ankara’s influence in the country. in war.
Libya, which has the most abundant oil reserves in Africa, is torn by a struggle for influence between two rival powers: the UN-recognized Government of National Accord (GNA) based in Tripoli and Marshal Khalifa Haftar, who rules the East and part of the South.
The first is supported by Turkey, which has soldiers on site, and the second by neighboring Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Russia.
The Turkish military intervention in Libya was decisive for the GNA, which was thus able to repel the Marshal’s offensive launched in April 2019 against Tripoli, and regain control of the entire north-west of the country.
The battle is now organized around the strategic city of Sirte, controlled by the pro-Haftar. Both sides deployed their forces around Sirte, located halfway between Tripoli in the west and Benghazi in the east.
“Turkish Occupation”
“To the Egyptian armed forces to intervene to protect Libyan and Egyptian national security, if they see an imminent threat to the security of our two countries”, indicated in a press release issued on the night of Monday to Tuesday the parliament elected to the ‘Is in 2014, which is mostly pro-Haftar.
“We call for concerted efforts between the two brotherly countries, Libya and Egypt, to ensure the defeat of the invading occupier (Turkey) and preserve our common national security,” the statement added.
“The dangers posed by the Turkish occupation represent a direct threat to our country and to neighboring countries, especially to Egypt,” he said.
Parliament was reacting to a speech by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sissi on 20 June, in which he threatened to intervene in Libya, in response to direct Turkish involvement, and called Sirte a “red line”, putting warn the GNA forces.
Mr Sisi’s message, perceived by the GNA as a “declaration of war”, received the full support of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Jordan, members of a pro-Haftar axis .
The United Arab Emirates has warned of threats by the GNA to take control of the city of Sirte, located halfway between Tripoli to the west and Benghazi to the east.
These “drums of war (…) can lead to serious political and human consequences”, warned on Twitter the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash.
He called for an “immediate ceasefire”, inviting the Libyans to choose “dialogue”.
Libya’s National Oil Corporation (NOC) on Sunday accused the United Arab Emirates (UAE) of ordering Libyan warlord Khalifa Haftar’s forces to suspend the country’s oil production and exports.
The NOC said oil production has been halted, referring to a recent statement by Haftar that production would continue to be suspended if certain conditions were not met.
The Libyan Oil Company said it was once again forced to declare force majeure for all oil exports, to protect itself against liabilities arising from its contractual commitments.
And to point out that oil exports resumed on July 10, but Haftar’s forces imposed a blockade on exports on July 11 and withdrew from negotiations.
According to the NOC, the order to suspend oil production was given to Haftar’s forces by the United Arab Emirates.
Libya’s National Oil Corporation said the move was “disappointing” and urged the UN Security Council to condemn the act and hold those responsible to account.
She also called for the withdrawal of all mercenaries from Libyan oil facilities.
“Ports and oil fields will remain closed until the demands and demands of the Libyan people are met,” Ahmad Al-Mismari, spokesman for Haftar’s militia, said on Saturday.
Al-Mismari also demanded the opening of a bank account in a “third country”, for the distribution of income from the sale of oil and that the Libyan central bank, which manages this income, be subject to an audit.
– Largest oil reserves in Africa
Oil production has almost come to a standstill in Libya after Haftar supporters blocked oil facilities in the east of the country last January in a bid to deprive Libya’s UN-recognized government of its resources.
Libya, which has the largest oil reserves in Africa, has a production capacity of 1.2 million barrels of crude oil per day. But production has fallen below 100,000 barrels per day, due to numerous cuts caused over the past six months by groups of Haftar supporters.
Since April 2019, Haftar’s forces have launched attacks on the Libyan capital Tripoli and other parts of northwestern Libya, killing more than 1,000 civilians, including women and children.
The Libyan government has won important victories recently, however, by driving Haftar’s forces out of Tripoli and the strategic city of Tarhouna.
This government was installed in 2015 under an agreement reached under the aegis of the United Nations, but efforts to reach a long-term political settlement have failed due to the military offensive led by the Lord of Haftar war, supported by France, the Russian paramilitary group Wagner, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt.
The UN recognizes the Libyan government, led by Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj, as the sole legitimate authority in the country.
____________________
