Libya Security Highlights (October 12 – 18, 2020)

AL-KHUMS

• a huge blaze broke out at the Faculty of Engineering at Al-Marqab University in Al-Khums, 120 km east of Tripoli. The blaze was attributed to a misaimed firework which was set off as part of a wedding celebration display, near the university.

AL-KHUMS – TRIPOLI

• at least four people have been arrested for links with a terrorist organization, Counter-Terrorism Commander, Maj. Gen. Muhammad al-Zein said on October 18. The cell was seized after two separate operations in the outskirts of Tripoli and Al-Khums. The cell included foreigners who were preparing terrorist attacks.

DERNA

• a source from Derna confirmed on October 14 the death of a detainee identified to be “Hafez al-Barani”, allegedly caused or precipitated by medical neglect, inside the notorious Garnada Prison run by Khalifa Haftar’s forces.

JUFRA

• the Libyan National Army (LNA) announced on October 13 the end of the first revitalization course for the combat detachments of the 116th Infantry Brigade, stationed in Jufra, 300 km south of Sirte. Training exercises reportedly were held on storming and shooting with live bullets.

MISRATA

• October 14 picture showing Turkish military training militia from Misrata on Turkish M60 tank in new attempt to undermine the ceasefire;

• Misurata elders’ chief Mohammad Rajoubi confirmed on October 13 that they had reached an agreement with a delegation from the eastern region to exchange prisoners and kidnapped persons within the coming days, prevent a war between the regions in Libya, and reopen roads and airports.

SABHA

• protesters took to the streets on October 17 in Sabha and blamed Khalifa Haftar for the deterioration of living conditions in the city as well as in the southern region as a whole, particularly because black market activities had soared and the local airport had been shut down.

SIRTE

• in an October 15 statement, LNA media spokesperson, Maj. Gen. Khaled al-Mahjoub confirmed the Libyan National Army (LNA)’s commitment to the ceasefire in Sirte, denying the army had fired artillery and missiles. Such allegations had been made in a statement by the spokesperson for Libyan armed forces operating in Sirte and Jufra, Brig. Abdul Hadi Dara.

TARHUNA

• the Libyan General Authority of Searching for the Missing said on October 18 it had recovered 12 bodies from mass graves in Tarhuna, a city previously controlled by Haftar’s forces.

TRIPOLI

• civil organizations along with trade and professional unions staged a stand in front of the UN mission’s HQ in Tripoli on October 15, exposing what they called “attempts by the UN mission to create new transitional stages”, warning that such a scenario would lead to an even more catastrophic outcome;

• on October 14, Ministry of Interior forces arrested Abdul-Rahman Milad, nicknamed Bidja, saying in a statement that he is accused of human trafficking and fuel smuggling. Bidja’s name had been in the sanctions list issued by the United Nations Security Council since June 2018 on charges of human trafficking;

• eyewitnesses from the Sidra area, south of Tripoli, said that a mine, planted by Khalifa Haftar’s forces in southern Tripoli, exploded on October 14, hitting a vehicle belonging to the General Electricity Company of Libya (GECOL);
• the same sources from Tripoli announced the murder of “Al-Nawasi” Brigade militiaman Khaled al-Mashouka on October 13.

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

• on October 17, Italy’s PM Giuseppe Conte emphasized that Italy is in favor of a political solution and dialogue in Libya. Stating that there is a civil war and a proxy war in Libya, Conte said Italy has interests in Libya but is not a party to the conflict and does not agree to participate in proxy wars;
• Egyptian President Al-Sisi said the main goal is to restore stability and security in Libya through the political track and the outcomes of the Berlin Conference and the Cairo Declaration, leading to the elections;
• the EU has placed 16 persons under a travel ban, in addition to 20 persons and 19 entities under asset freeze for threatening peace, stability or security of Libya;
• on October 16, UNSMIL Acting Special Representative Stephanie Williams reportedly met with mayors from the South, West and the Eastern part of Libya as part of the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum (LPDF);
• on October 15, Williams had also met in Moscow with Russian officials, including Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, with whom she discussed the latest developments in Libya. She also briefed Lavrov on the ongoing preparations by the UN Mission to resume the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum;
• the European Union (EU) has imposed sanctions on the Russian businessman Yevgeny Prigozhin, nicknamed ‘Putin’s chef’, who is a close personal friend to the Russian President, due to Prigozhin’s obvious links with the so-called ‘Wagner Company’;
• Italian Foreign Minister Di Maio condemned on October 15 the detention in eastern Libya of 18 sailors who were fishing in the southern Mediterranean, calling the event “unacceptable”. Haftar’s patrol boats detained two Sicilian fishing boats on Sept. 1 and brought the crews to Benghazi;
• Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov accused on October 14 the US of getting in the way of appointing a new UN envoy to Libya, saying an envoy should be appointed as soon as possible;
• High Council of State head Khalid al-Mishri arrived in Malta on October 14 for talks with Malta’s Foreign Affairs Minister Evarist Bartolo on the state of affairs in Libya;
• delegations of the House of Representatives and the High Council of State agreed in Cairo to end the transitional phase in Libya and start preparations for a permanent phase of governance. In their final statement, the delegations urged the UNSMIL to facilitate an agreement that satisfies all parties;
• US ambassador to Libya, Richard Norland met on October 13 with UNSMIL Acting Special Representative, Stephanie Williams, and reiterated the US fully supports the UN-facilitated Libyan Political Dialogue Forum (LPDF) process;
• on October 12, in a phone call with his Tunisian counterpart, Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune welcomed the UN-supervised Libyan dialogue, reiterating his country’s readiness to play a supportive role together with Tunisia;

• on October 12, Turkey’s Defense Ministry announced the Turkish military had started training 120 Libyan soldiers in the Tajoura Joint Land Training and Exercise Center, with the aim of rising the Libyan Army up to international standards.