Libyan Capital Under Heavy Barrage as Civil War Escalates // FAI ONLINE

A fighter loyal to the GNA stands next to a destroyed car following bombardment of the residential Bab Bin Ghashir neighbourhood on Saturday (Mahmud Turkia, AFP)

The Libyan capital of Tripoli came under heavy barrage today by forces loyal to Libyan National Army (LNA) strongman Khalifa Haftar. At least 145 rockets were reportedly fired into the city and surrounding environs in a mere 24 hours, killing 15 people. The government-held Mitiga Airport was a primary target, attracting the majority of rocket fire. The LNA also reportedly targeted the Turkish and Italian embassies - two nations aligned with the UN and EU recognized government. The LNA denied that the embassies were targeted.

The bombardment comes days after General Haftar announced a renewed offensive to take the capital. The LNA gained control of the eastern port cities of Benghazi and Sitre before launching a campaign to take Tripoli a year ago. The Egyptian government, Russia and the United Arab Emirates have aligned themselves with the secular-leaning LNA, while the Islamist-friendly Turkish government has allied with the Tripoli government, or GNA, which includes Muslim Brotherhood parties that rose to prominence in the wake of Muammar Gaddafi’s ouster and assassination in 2011.

Both Turkey and Russia have made significant military commitments to opposing sides in Libya, including the importation of weapons, vehicles and drones. Both Turkey and Russia are also aligned with opposing sides in the Syrian Civil War, where they have begun recruiting Syrian fighters from militia forces loyal to both the Syrian regime and Syrian rebels to fight in Libya in support of the LNA and GNA, respectively. In effect, Turkey and Russia have transplanted the Syrian Civil War into Libya’s civil war, adding yet another layer of complexity and volatility. A UN report leaked to the public last week also concludes that between 800-1000 mercenaries from the Wagner Group - a Russian military contractor with ties to Russian President Putin and a history of documented war crimes in Ukraine and Syria - is also operating in Libya in support of Haftar’s forces.

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General Khalifa Haftar was a high-ranking officer in Gaddafi’s military for decades, having sided with the former dictator in the coup that overthrew Libya’s last monarchy in 1969. Then as a colonel in 1986, he led Libya’s forces across their southern border into Chad, during the Chadian-Libyan War. The campaign failed, and Haftar was captured, along with 700 of his men. Gaddafi disowned the failed invasion and betrayed Haftar, after which the colonel was approached by the CIA in the wake of the PanAm 103 bombing over Lockerbie, Scotland, a terrorist attack attributed to Gaddafi’s regime. He was eventually allowed to settle in the United States for over 20 years before he returned to Libya in 2011 to participate in the Arab Spring uprising against Gaddafi.

Then in 2014, as Libya’s new parliament fractured between moderate and Islamist-revolutionary parties, Haftar announced a new offensive against the Tripoli government in demand of new elections. With backing from a significant portion of the Libyan officer corps, many of whom wished to return to the days of relative secularism and stability under Gaddafi, Haftar rose to leadership and forced new elections. But instead of resolving the deadlock, the sidelining of Islamist parties only solidified the rift. The existing parliament refused to step down to the incoming parliament, creating two opposing governments based in western and eastern Libya. The newly elected parliament appointed Hafar as commander of the Libyan National Army, which found natural allies in nations such as Egypt and the UAE, who were struggling against Islamist parties in their own nations. The UN and EU, on the other hand, continued to back the existing parliament in Tripoli, citing the very low voter turnout in the 2014 elections as a reason to dismiss the vote, the new parliament, and Haftar’s command as invalid.

With the support of his regional allies, Haftar and his LNA began a relentless offensive against the UN-backed Tripoli government, called the Government of National Accord (GNA). His forces marched westward along the Libyan coast, taking Benghazi and Sitre, before arriving within striking distance of Tripoli in 2019. Haftar has become increasingly authoritarian, contradicting the proclamations of the 2014 parliament in the east and posturing himself to become the strongman-successor of Gaddafi, touting his secularism and opposition to Islamist parties as his mandate to lead the nation. As such, the 2014 parliament has now disavowed Haftar and sought reconciliation with the parliament in Tripoli, but it is too late to put the genie back in the bottle. Hafar’s charismatic leadership, support within the Libyan officer corp and backing from Egypt, Russia and UAE have transformed his LNA into its own governing faction. Only Turkish entrance into the war last year in support of the GNA has prevented Haftar from taking the capital city so far.

It remains to be seen whether this week’s rocket barrage and the continued inflow of support from Russia and the Arab States will be enough to overthrow the GNA. If successful, the LNA would become the third secular military movement to consolidate its control in North Africa since the beginning of the Arab Spring, joining President al-Sisi of Egypt and the military of Sudan. These nations would form an axis together with moderate Gulf States and Israel against their common Islamist opponents in Turkey and Iran.