Libya Security Highlights (July 12-18, 2021)

Former PM Ali Zeidan founds new political party Nidaa al-Qardabiya, announces internal elections soon.

Warfalla Tribe Council calls for unity, rejects LPDF members selecting mechanism, confirms support for Dec. 24 elections.

Jul. 18, RPG falls on Benghazi’s Al-Laithi area, kills actor Haitham Dirbaash, injures 5.

TRIPOLI

• Jul. 18, 19 Egyptian migrant minors were deported from the Tripoli Centre of Libya’s Anti-Illegal Immigration Agency. The Media Office of the Tripoli Detention Centre said 19 Egyptians left Mitiga International Airport to Alexandria Airport, after the Egyptian Embassy provided them with temporary travel documents.

BENGHAZI

• Jul. 18, local sources reported that an RPG Missile fell near the Al-Wahda Bank branch in Al-Laithi neighborhood in Benghazi. Sources noted that a number of citizens who were present in the vicinity of the incident were injured. The sources confirmed that Libyan actor, Haitham Dirbaash, died of shrapnel wounds after he was taken to the hospital for medical treatment following the fall of the mortar shell. Five other people were also injured in the incident;

• The Italian Consul in Benghazi, Carlo Batori, met with the Undersecretary of Libya’s Ministry of Interior, Faraj Akim, to discuss security cooperation. Akim said in a statement Jul. 18 that the two had discussed the migration crisis, and ways to combat human traffickers across the Mediterranean. He affirmed the need for Italy to facilitate the issuance of travel visas for Libyan citizens, and for cooperation to curb illegal immigration. The Libyan official also referred to the need for Italian support in investment, and the acceleration of reconstruction projects.

ZUWARA

• Jul. 12, the Municipality Council in the port city of Zuwara issued a deadline for illegal migrants to officially regularize their situation, or they will be at risk of expulsion from the city. In a statement, the council called on all residents of the city to correct their legal situation within 10 days or leave voluntarily. A “vast security plan” will be put in place by the city’s council to enforce the measure, the statement read. The council justified its decision by blaming it on a “rise in the crime rate”;

NATIONAL POLITICS AND INTERNAL AFFAIRS

• Jul. 15, the Libyan Coast Guard announced the rescuing of 51 migrants who were on their way to European shores aboard a rubber boat. The Coast Guard said in a statement, that its ‘Fezzan’ ship was able to rescue the migrants immediately after receiving a distress call. It noted that the Guard’s boat was equipped with the necessary capabilities for the rescue operation;
• Jul. 14, Libya’s Prosecutor General, Al-Siddiq al-Sour, announced the release of 179 detainees during the period from Apr. 1 -–Jul. 3. In a statement, the Public Prosecutor’s office indicated that judicial and administrative procedures are underway, to address the conditions of all detainees as soon as possible. This comes as part of the procedures that resulted in the release of more than 3,000 detainees during the 2018-2020 period;
• Jul. 13, Libya’s Parliament postponed the vote on the government’s draft budget, until the end of the Eid al-Adha celebrations (Jul. 19-23), according to the Parliament Spokesman, Abdullah Belhaq. According to Belhaq, the postponement was to ensure the necessary quorum of 120 votes, is available for the state budget bill. He added that some MP’s raised objections over the lack of a quorum to vote on the draft budget submitted by the Government of National Unity (GNU), and referred the issue to the parliamentary legislative and constitutional committee;
• Former PM Ali Zeidan founded a political party called Nidaa al-Qardabiya. Zeidan recently returned to the homeland because he declaredly believes “in the justice of the Libyan cause”. He also believes in the necessity of imposing Libya’s prestige among countries, and achieving its renaissance. Zeidan added that his party will hold internal elections soon, without disclosing whether he will run for the party’s presidency or not, saying only that, “the opportunity is available to everyone”;

• The Social Council of Libya’s Warfalla Tribe stressed the need to renounce division, and extinguish the fires of sedition in the country. It claimed that the crisis in Libya can only be resolved by the Libyans themselves, and that foreign interventions harm the interests of the Libyan people. In a statement, the council expressed its reservations about the mechanism for selecting members of the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum (LPDF), and confirmed its support for holding the elections Dec. 24. It also stressed the importance of adhering to the unity of Libya, describing it as a red line.

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

• Arab League Sec.-Gen. Ahmed Aboul Gheit met with GNU’s PM Abdelhamid Al-Dbaiba in New York. The meeting came on the sidelines of Al-Dbaiba’s visit to New York to participate in the UN Security Council session on the situation in Libya. An official source from within the Arab League said that Aboul Gheit and Al-Dbaiba discussed the situation in Libya in general and the relations between Libya and the Arab League in particular. During the meeting, it was agreed that Aboul Gheit would visit Libya as soon as possible;
• Jul. 17, the Director of the Moral Guidance Department of the Libyan National Army (LNA), Maj. Gen. Khaled al-Mahjoub, stated that Turkey is invoking an illegal agreement to keep its mercenaries in Libya. In press statements, Al-Mahjoub said that Ankara is relying on its agreements with the “former illegitimate Government of National Accord (GNA) for the survival of its forces and mercenaries in the country.” He added that Turkey is looking for excuses to keep its forces in Libya. He pointed out that Turkey is responsible for transferring mercenaries and terrorists to Libya;
• Operation Commander, EUNAVFOR MED “IRINI”, R. Adm. ✯✯ Fabio Agostini confirmed that the Libyan authorities have refused to grant him and other officers a visa for months. Agostini said, “I have been trying to go to Libya since before Easter, but the Libyan authorities have not yet granted me a visa, for whatever reason.” Together with other IRINI officials, Agostini was forced to postpone their visit to Libya. The flag officer also confirmed that European forces no longer have any control over the Libyan military transport network;
• Jul. 17, the Tunisian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Migration and Tunisians Abroad, Othman Jerandi, stressed the importance of continuing Arab support for a political settlement in Libya. This came during a meeting of the permanent Arab delegates to the United Nations (UN), according to a statement issued by the Media Office of the Tunisian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. As part of his speech, the Minister reviewed the outcomes of the high-level Security Council session on Libya, which was held Jul. 15. He stressed the importance of continuing joint Arab support for the political settlement in Libya, as it represents a fundamental part of Libyans’ efforts to meet the current stage’s needs and the ability to achieve security and stability in their country;
• The United States (US) Permanent Representative to the United Nations (UN), Linda Thomas Greenfield, stressed that a political solution in Libya is possible, describing it as “necessary” and “urgent.” These remarks came Jul. 16 during a meeting with Libya’s Prime Minister Al-Dbaiba;
• Jul. 16, Marshal Khalifa Haftar called on the international community and the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) to support holding the general elections in Libya on time. He also reiterated the LNA’s support for holding the presidential and parliamentary elections on Dec. 24, as agreed by the Libyan parties;
• United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres insisted that mercenaries and foreign fighters must leave Libya without any further delays. During a meeting with Prime Minister Al-Dbaiba following the Security Council session on Libya Jul. 15, Guterres said that the presence of mercenaries and foreign fighters in Libya is a major factor of the crisis;
• Jul. 15, UNHCR evacuated 133 vulnerable asylum-seekers to Rwanda, on the first humanitarian evacuation flight this year from Libya, which had been on hold since April. According to a statement by UNHCR, the men, women and children brought to safety are from Eritrea, Somalia, South Sudan, and Sudan. Most are victims of trafficking or survivors of gender-based violence and other forms of abuse;
• Jul. 15, French Minister of Foreign Affairs, Jean-Yves Le Drian, said that those found to be jeopardizing the Libyan political process could face international sanctions. Addressing the UN Security Council meeting on Libya’s roadmap progress, Le Drian said that real threats were hanging over the political process and they must be dispelled, starting with respecting the election date;
• Jul. 15, Amnesty International issued a report outlining fresh evidence of harrowing violations, including sexual violence, against men, women and children who had been intercepted by the Libyan Coast Guard, and forcibly returned to detention centers in Libya. Amnesty called on European states to suspend cooperation on migration and border control with Libya. Italy’s Parliament will debate the continuation of their provision of military support and resources to the Libyan Coast Guard this week;
• Libyan Attorney General, Al-Siddiq Al-Sour ordered the arrest of the Head of the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC), Noman Al-Sheikh, and the commission’s agent, Amr Qadqud following corruption charges, according to sources close to the NACC. The arrest of Al-Sheikh took place after he held a meeting with the Head of the High Council of State (HCS), Khalid Al-Mishri in Tripoli, to bypass the Libyan Parliament and approve the state budget;
• Jul. 14, the Libyan Minister of Labor and Rehabilitation, Ali Al-Abed Al-Rida, met with the French Ambassador to Libya, Béatrice le Fraper du Hellen. They discussed bilateral relations, and French support in the training and rehabilitation sector. The minister confirmed the depth of relations between the two countries, noting the importance of strengthening joint cooperation at all levels;
• Italian Foreign Minister, Luigi Di Maio announced that he will visit Libya in the coming weeks, stressing Rome’s interest in the situation in Libya and the activities of the Libyan Coast Guard in the Mediterranean. “Italy has not, and will not fund the Libyan Coast Guard,” Di Maio told the Italian House Jul. 14, after several NGO’s called for Italian funding to be halted due to “a constant massacre of migrants in the central Mediterranean, and a cycle of violence, exploitation, and violation of human rights systematically endured by migrants and refugees in Libya;
• Libya’s Undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Omar Al-Kati participated in the mid-term Ministerial Conference of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM). The conference was held under the slogan “Non-Aligned Movement at the centre of multilateral efforts in responding to global challenges.” It was held Jul. 13-14 in the Azerbaijani capital, Baku, via video conference. The virtual conference provided the opportunity for members to take stock of the progress achieved on various issues pertaining to the agenda of the movement, since the Baku Summit in 2019;
• Jul. 13, Germany’s Foreign Minister, Heiko Maas, reiterated his call for the full withdrawal of all mercenaries and foreign forces from Libya. This came prior to Maas’ trip to New York, where he is set to continue to seek the support of the United Nations Security Council for a political solution to Libya;
• Jul. 12, the Russian Foreign Ministry stated that the Russian President’s Special Envoy for the Middle East and Africa, Mikhail Bogdanov held a meeting with United Nations Special Envoy to Libya, Jan Kubis. The statement added that the two sides discussed the implementation of the roadmap for a peace settlement in the war-torn country;
• Jul. 12, Sudanese Foreign Minister, Mariam Al-Sadiq Al-Mahdi, held a meeting with her Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov in Moscow. They discussed a number of regional files, especially with regards to Libya, and the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD). In a joint press conference, Al-Mahdi said that it is necessary for Khartoum to play an important role, alongside Russia in bringing peace to Libya, reaffirming Sudan’s support for Libya’s interim executive authority;
• Jul. 12, the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Transportation of Libya’s Interim Government of National Unity (GNU), Wissam al-Idrisi, confirmed that a total of 800 stranded Libyans in Tunisia were successfully repatriated over the past two days. In press statements, Al-Idrisi explained that they took all the necessary measures to facilitate the repatriation process;
• Jul. 18, Greek Foreign Minister, Níkos Déndias, said that Turkey is trying to establish a “military permanent presence in many countries. This could be a destabilizing factor.” The Minister added that, “Turkey is increasingly playing the religious card in order to advance its geopolitical agenda. We have seen examples of this in our immediate neighbourhood, in the Balkans and the Eastern Mediterranean, but increasingly also in other parts of the world. Especially in Africa, in particular East Africa. This is a worrying trend.” “The biggest challenge that Turkey is posing, not just to Greece, but to the whole region, is that she does not respect the basic principles of international law, including fundamental provisions of the United Nations (UN) Charter,” he said;
• According to newly released Justice Department papers, law firm Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck has registered to represent the former Libyan Interior Minister in the Government of National Accord (GNA), Fathi Bashagha in the United States on financial industry anti-corruption activities, and the promotion of elections, Reuters reported. On Jul. 2, the Colorado-founded law firm reported its work for Bashagha under the Federal Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), which requires the disclosure of certain matters for foreign clients beyond traditional court-based litigation;
• Italian media announced the imminent arrival of a C-130 plane to Libya, carrying a civil protection and firefighting team to provide technical assistance and help local authorities in extinguishing the devastating fires sweeping the country. According to a statement issued by the Italian authorities, the team, consisting of five officials, three from the Civil Defense and two from the National Fire Corps, left Ciampino airport for Libya. This came as part of a mission in coordination with the Libyan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and is aimed at exchanging good practices in firefighting with local authorities.