By Amira Abo el-Fetouh
Almost a year ago, when the coup leader Khalifa Haftar attacked the Libyan capital Tripoli with his mercenary militias, I wrote an article in which I said, “The battle of Tripoli is a decisive battle between the forces of the revolution and the counter-revolution forces; it separates truth from falsehood. Read More
As in most of the Arab world, the Libyan government shut schools to combat the coronavirus COVID-19, and teachers, parents, and students are scrambling not to lose the rest of the school year. Read More
By Mohammed Cherkaoui
This paper examines what seems to be the dynamo factor, or driving force, of the Libyan conflict: fluctuation and reconstruction of political legitimacy.
By Sandy Alkoutami & Frederic Wehrey
Among the bevy of great and middle powers involved in Libya, China is often neglected.
By Mohamed Toumi
This paper focuses on Operation Peace Storm’s advances and investigates their political and security implications.
By Ismail Zitouny
A withering bombardment shook Tripoli on Sunday as the eastern-based forces of Khalifa Haftar fought overnight for new territory in the southern suburbs after losing ground recently around the city. Read More
By James Coyle
As Libyan strongman Khalifa Haftar unilaterally announced his acceptance of the Libyan presidency, Russian reaction was predictable: Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov called for diplomacy. Read More
By Emadeddin Badi
Both de jure and de facto, authorities in Libya will have to cope with the pandemic threat posed by COVID-19. Read More
By Hanan Salah
After years of getting away with their crimes, armed groups in Libya continue to destroy the country’s fragile health infrastructure during a deadly pandemic. Read More
By Oana-Cosmina Mihalache
Libya can be considered the battleground of a Janus-faced perspective on outside intervention. Read More
By Karim Mezran & Dario Cristiani
The announcement that Aguila Saleh, the speaker of the Libyan House of Representatives, made, on April 30, on his political roadmap negotiated with the Russians, came as a surprise only to those who do not follow Libyan politics closely. Read More
By David Ignatius
While most of the world has been on lockdown from the novel coronavirus, the wars and political machinations of the Middle East have continued. Read More
The Syrian dictator and the Libyan warlord have been accused of tacitly working together to amass fortunes from illegal drug trafficking, exploiting civil war conditions of both Libya and Syria. Read More
By Nick Wadhams
The Trump administration stepped up its criticism of Russia’s involvement in the Libya conflict, accusing the Kremlin of providing weapons and other support to mercenaries from the Wagner Group and Syrian militias siding with strongman Khalifa Haftar over the UN-recognized government. Read More
By David Wainer
Russian operatives are engaged in a large-scale effort in Libya to bolster eastern commander Khalifa Haftar through a mix of technical support, direct involvement in combat operations and sophisticated influence campaigns, according to United Nations experts. Read More
By Mustafa Dalei
Residents of the western Libyan city of Sabha have publicly defied eastern warlord Khalifa Haftar for the first time since the militia leader captured the capital of Fezzan region in January 2019. Read More
By Talha Yavuz & Mehmet Sah Yilmaz
Renegade commander unilaterally declared himself ruler of country to cover his failures, say experts. Read More
Khalifa Haftar, who commands forces besieging Tripoli, has announced he will replace UN-backed mediation in Libya with a new political roadmap and government. Read More
By Humeyra Pamuk
The United States does not support the offensive of Libya’s eastern-based military leader Khalifa Haftar against Tripoli and believes Russia is working with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to transfer militia fighters and equipment to Libya, senior U.S. officials said on Thursday. Read More
By Stefano Marcuzzi
The EU must seize on the strategic opportunity presented by the coronavirus pandemic to take the initiative away from Russia and Turkey in Libya. The arrival of the new coronavirus in Libya has not interrupted the battle for Tripoli. Read More
By Tom Allinson
The tides have turned in Libya’s conflict as Turkish intervention has tilted the balance of power. What options do Khalifa Haftar and his foreign backers now have. Read More
By Ben Fishman & Conor Hiney
A boost in Turkish drones and air defense systems enabled forces in Tripoli to establish local air superiority and ease pressure on the capital, leaving each side’s foreign patrons with tough choices about whether to escalate further or take steps to halt the fighting. Read More
By Safvan Allahverdi
Anadolu Agency verifies video showing Sudanese mercenaries taking oath of allegiance to warlord Khalifa Haftar. Read More
The report is based on dozens of interviews with Turkish and Libyan officials and experts, as well as representatives of Western and Arab governments.
By Sasha Toperich
Khalifa Haftar, the renegade Libyan general, took many world leaders and most experts by surprise when he attacked Tripoli on April 4. Now, nearly three weeks later and with his forces confronted by a determined resistance, Haftar’s high-stakes gamble may soon prove to be a colossal mistake. Read More
By Paul Iddon
There is no end in sight for Libya’s civil war, since neither of the two warring factions can defeat the other, nor negotiate a peace settlement in good faith. This leads to one question – will Libya inevitably become a de facto partitioned country? Read More
The report is based on dozens of interviews with Turkish and Libyan officials and experts, as well as representatives of Western and Arab governments.
By Burhanettin Duran
Libyan warlord Gen. Khalifa Haftar is taking a new moves after suffering a series of military defeats in recent weeks. On Monday evening, he announced the formation of a new government, claiming to have a “popular mandate. Read More
How does a fragmented state fight a global pandemic?
By Tarek Megerisi
This article is part of a series of opinion pieces about Libya’s response to the pandemic within the ongoing conflict, through a human rights lens. Read More
By Ferruccio Michelin
After the attempted coup, the militia chief of Cyrenaica received little consensus. Indeed, some of its sponsors have abandoned it. Read More
Khalifa Haftar declared himself ruler of Libya earlier this week, scrapping 2015 UN unity agreement. Turkey has vowed to “defend” Libya’s UN-recognised government after eastern-based military commander Khalifa Haftar declared himself ruler of the North African country.
Turkey’s foreign ministry accused Haftar on Wednesday of trying to “create a military dictatorship” and said the military leader had shown his true intentions by withdrawing from a landmark UN-brokered agreement to unite the country.
“Turkey will continue to stand by the Libyan people in defending the Government of National Accord and all other legitimate institutions and to support the efforts for a political solution.” the foreign ministry said.
Turkey’s foreign ministry also urged the international community to respond to Haftar’s actions, adding that the military leader had “undoubtedly exposed his intention to establish a junta regime in Libya”.
“With this announcement, Haftar has once again demonstrated that he does not seek a political solution to the crisis in Libya, does not support international efforts in this regard, and aims to create a military dictatorship in the country.” the ministry added.
The comments came after Haftar declared that he had a “popular mandate” to govern the North African country, and said the 2015 UN agreement had “destroyed” Libya.
“The political agreement destroyed the country. We will work to create the conditions for building permanent civic institutions,” Haftar said in a televised address.
On Tuesday, the GNA responded to Haftar’s announcement, accusing him of staging a “coup”.
“It’s a farce and the latest in a long series of coups d’etat,” the government said in a statement.
Russia and US react
Haftar, a former general under Gaddafi, has been leading an assault on the capital Tripoli since last April with his self-styled Libyan National Army (LNA).
Although the LNA last year managed to advance into the southern suburbs of Tripoli, it has lost ground to pro-GNA forces during clashes this month.
Russia and the US have urged both parties to resume a political process, with Washington saying it “regrets” Haftar’s nixing of the 2015 agreement.
“The United States regrets LNA commander Haftar’s suggestion that changes to Libya’s political structure can be imposed by unilateral declaration and reiterates the call for an immediate humanitarian cessation of hostilities,” the US embassy in Libya said in a statement.
Although the US officially backs the GNA, Tripoli has accused Western powers of covertly backing the military leader.
Last year, after Donald Trump spoke on the phone with Haftar, the White House said in a statement that the US president “recognised Field Marshall Haftar’s significant role in fighting terrorism and securing Libya’s oil resources”.
****
Haftar promises to protect Libya from “Turkish invaders”
Libya’s eastern military commander Khalifa Haftar has promised to fight Turkish forces if UN-led peace talks in Geneva break down.
“We cannot sit idly by,” said Haftar, according to comments to a Russian news agency carried by Sputnik News. “The armed forces will fulfill their national and constitutional duty to protect citizens, the country’s sovereignty and borders from Turkish invaders,” added Haftar.
Haftar accused Libya’s Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj of using the ceasefire to transfer Syrian mercenaries, Turkish soldiers, terrorists and weapons to Tripoli. Haftar also said he supported European Union plans to use a naval mission to enforce a UN arms embargo.
Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan confirmed on Friday that Syrian fighters are operating in Libya alongside a Turkish training force, according to reports from the AFP news agency.
“There are also people from the Syrian National Army,” said Erdogan, referring to fighters formerly known as the Free Syrian Army.
Erdogan levelled fresh accusations at Russia, saying some 2,500 mercenaries had been sent to Libya by Moscow. He said some “15,000 terrorists” were supporting Haftar.
Turkey, as well as Qatar, backs the UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) in Tripoli, which opposes Haftar who is supported by Russia, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
‘More hope’ in UN talks
UN envoy Ghassan Salame on Thursday kicked off military negotiations between the GNA and Haftar loyalists.
The GNA had shunned a second round of indirect talks following a rocket attack on a port in Tripoli. However, GNA representatives returned to negotiations following a short break, Salame told the AFP news agency.
Salame optimistically described both sides in discussions as returning for fresh talks with “even more energy towards finding a deal,” referring to a military settlement as “essential”.
Libya has been in conflict since the toppling of longtime leader Moamer Kadhafi in 2011, sparking fighting between armed factions vying for control of the oil-rich country.
Haftar launched an offensive on Tripoli last April and made a number of quick advances, but his fighters stalled on the edge of the city.
The first round of military discussions ended with no outcome earlier this month, although Salame has said there is “more hope” in these latest negotiations.
____________
Battles in Tarhouna, Wattiyah to prove decisive for Haftar’s pact with international, Libyan backers
On Monday night, Khalifa Haftar, the head of the so-called Libyan National Army, ascended to the podium to declare that he was nullifying the United Nations-brokered 2015 Libyan Political Agreement (LPA) and forming a new government. Read More
The report is based on dozens of interviews with Turkish and Libyan officials and experts, as well as representatives of Western and Arab governments.
.
By Pamela Kerpius and Nick O’Connell
COVID-19 has forced a reckoning for citizens of countries rarely confronted with death at regular intervals and at such a large scale. Read More
By: Thomas M. Hill
One year after warlord Khalifa Haftar launched his assault on Tripoli, what are the prospects for peace in Libya? Read More
The UN Support Mission in Libya () releases its first quarter civilian casualty report for 2020. The data shows an increase in civilian casualties from the armed conflict in Libya. Read More