Next week, an EU delegation is to visit Libya and meet with officials from both governments to discuss rising migration activity from Libya to the Mediterranean Sea. The Central Mediterranean Route of Libya is the only external migration route to Europe which has not seen a decline in activity during the recent months and years. The rump dictator of Libya’s eastern part, historically called Cyrenaica, Khalifa Haftar is currently blackmailing European leaders and EU officials, threatening to send more migrants to Europe if Europe doesn’t do business with him.
Europe, led by Italy is choosing to appease him. Despite minimal sanctions directed against Khalifa Haftar himself, and UN weapons embargo on Libya, Khalifa Haftar has built an economy and a military which he has direct control over thanks to ample help provided to him by Russia and the United Arab Emirates. There appear to be no limits on Khalifa Haftar’s actions in eastern Libya, as he rules with absolute power, exerting direct control over all aspects of the economy and suppressing any form of dissent. As of recently, he invaded Sudan at the behest of his Emirati patrons.
Like a typical dictator, Khalifa Haftar has delegated power to his sons with each of them having a very important and major role. Saddam Haftar is the Chief of Staff of the military, Khalid Haftar is head of security, Belqasem Haftar leads the Libya Development & Reconstruction Fund, Sadiq Haftar runs the private economy at home, while Oqba Haftar and Al-Muntasir Haftar are laundering the family’s money in real-estate in the US and potentially also in Europe.
While Russia continues to build a significant military presence in Libya, both Russia and the Emirates have helped Khalifa Haftar build a functioning economy. Khalifa Haftar’s largest source of revenue seems to be the Arkenu Oil Company, which is selling oil to China via Emirati brokers while also using Emirati banks. Now, Russia is planning to build an oil refinery and has become a major grain and agricultural exporter to Haftar’s regime. Russia has moved military assets from Syria to Libya, but Haftar’s regime has received additional Russian military assets making Russia’s military presence in Libya significant. The government of Tripoli has condemned the build-up of Russian military in Libya. Russia is currently using four airbases in Libya: AL-Khadim, Al-Jufra, Brak al-Shati, and Al-Qardabiya.
As part of this functional economy there are also expansive and illegal markets of oil and weapons, with oil being looted from Libya’s national companies and sold in Hurd’s Bank, and a regular traffic flow of weapons to the Rapid Support Forces which are financed and backed by the United Arab Emirates. Khalifa Haftar also has full control of the southern Libya border where illegal activities of human trafficking, kidnapping and even slavery is highly active. Prior to his invasion of Sudan, increased military activity was spotted in the area. Russia has also been using Hurd’s Bank to refuel its ships.
Occasionally, the rump dictator threatens Tripoli with war, making it quite blatantly obvious, that he is the only reason why Libya is not united. Yet, as he refuses to acknowledge the legitimate, UN-recognised government in Tripoli and instead chooses to run his own private fiefdom like a criminal dictator, the EU continues to engage with Haftar through diplomacy, appeasement, and promises of business opportunities — all while he builds the most powerful criminal organisation in North Africa and obstructs Libya’s transition toward unity and democracy.
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