On 13 April, the Special Advisor to the UN Secretary-General (SASG) on Libya, Stephanie Williams, launched consultations of the Joint Committee of...
UN launches and concludes Joint HOR/HCS Committee meeting in Cairo
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International actors
Our archive of international activity in Libya’s security space including military operations, the presence of foreign operatives and diplomacy pertaining to Libya’s security.
Libya votes in favour of suspending Russia from the UNHRC
On 7 April, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution calling for Russia to be suspended from the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC), with Libya...
Turkish military plane touches down at Watiya Airbase
On 6 April, flight trackers identified a suspected Turkish military cargo plane arriving at Libya's Al-Watiya Air Base, north of Zintan. This...
Change of command at Operation Irini
On 1 April, Operation EUNAVFOR MED IRINI, whose mandate includes capacity building and training of the Libyan Coast Guard, changed its Force...
US unveils 10 year plan for stability in Libya
On 1 April, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken tweeted that ‘together with our partners, we will implement the 10-year Strategy to Prevent...
Germany to stop providing training to Libya’s coast guard
On 30 March, Germany announced it would no longer provide training to Libya’s coast guard due to concerns over the treatment of migrants. Andrea...
HoR a no show at UN-facilitated HCS and HoR joint committee meeting in Tunis
On 25 March, SASG Stephanie William issued a statement highlighting the conclusion of a three-day consultative meeting with the 12-member HSC...
Unverrified documents surface showing Russia declining LNA support in Ukraine
On 25 March, a series of unverified documents surfaced online purportedly showing the head of the LNA Khalifa Haftar offering military support to...
UNSMIL convenes 6+6 Joint Committee in Tunis
On 22 March, the UN’s Special Advisor of the Secretary General (SASG) on Libya, Stephanie Williams, convened the first meeting of the 6+6 Joint...
Norland meets with Dabaiba
On 16 March, US Ambassador to Libya Richard Norland met with Dabaiba to discuss the current political crisis, efforts to prevent the outbreak of...
Chechen President speaks with Dabaiba
On 13 March, Dabaiba spoke with the President of the Chechen Republic, Ramzan Kadyrov. Reports indicate that the conversation focussed on boosting...
Ukrainian intelligence accuses Russia of transferring Libyan mercenaries to fight in Ukraine
On 12 March, the head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine, Brigadier General Kirill Budanov, claimed that...
UNSMIL urges restraint amid armed group mobilisation in Tripoli
On 10 March, UNSMIL issued a statement saying that it was closely following with concern reports about the mobilization of forces and movement of...
P3+2 and EU issue joint statement
On 4 March, the governments of France, Germany, Italy, the US and the UK released a joint statement noting the UN Secretary-General’s statement and...
UN concern over HoR vote and pushes UN-led HoR-HSC mediation initiative
On 2 March, the UN released a statement attributable to the Secretary-General expressing concern that the House of Representatives’ (HoR) vote of...
LNA conducts military operation south of Kufra
On 27 February, the LNA’s Commander of the Moral Guidance Department, Khaled Mahjoub, reported that clashes broke out between the LNA’s Subul...
Wagner operatives withdrawn from Sokna
Over the last fortnight, reports emerged that operatives from the Russian private military contractor (PMC) Wagner Group have withdrawn from their...
Erdogan makes neutral statement about Dabaiba and Bashaagha
On 16 February, Turkish President Recep Erdogan upon returning from Dubai told reporters that: ‘Fathi Bashaagha has announced his candidacy. Our...
Russia insists HoR decision must be respected
On 14 February, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson, Maria Zakhaqrova, stated that Moscow hoped a new government led by Fathi Bashaagha would be...
Gutteres notes HoR decision on new PM
On 11 February, the Spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General (UNSG), Stéphane Dujarric, released a statement on behalf of the UNSG Antonio Guterres...
Egypt comments on HoR announcements
On 10 February, the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a statement in the wake of the HoR's appointment of Fathi Bashaagha as PM...
UN publishes terrorist monitoring report
On 3 February, the UN Security Council published the ‘Twenty-ninth report of the Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team concerning ISIL...
UN Special Envoy position remains unfilled
On 1 February, the UN Spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Farhan Haq, stated that no individual had been proposed to assume...
UNSMIL mandate extended until April 2022
On 31 January, the UN Security Council (UNSC) voted for a technical roll over of the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) mandate for three months...
Williams warns of prolonged election delay
In an interview with The Guardian on 31 January, Williams stated ‘My fear is that some people may now manoeuvre for a prolonged period of delay. The...
GNU delegation travels to Chad to discuss border security
On 25 January, GNU Prime Minister Dabaiba, Foreign Minister Najla al-Mangoush, Interior Minister Khaled Mazen, and Chief of Staff Mohamed al-Haddad,...
UNSC briefing on Libya
On 24 January, the UN Security Council held a briefing on Libya at which a number of figures addressed the council including Ambassador Jeffrey...
Williams resumes consultations with Libyan actors
On 23 January, UN Special Advisor to Libya, Stephanie Williamsmet with the Speaker of the HoR, Aqeela Saleh, in al-Qubba to discuss the political...
Italian military mission in Misrata faces logistical issues
On 15 January, Italian media reported on a series of logistical issues associated with Italy’s Bilateral Mission of Assistance and Support in Libya...
Williams meets with Turkish officials in Ankara
On 15 January, UN Special Advisor on Libya Stephanie Williams met with the Turkish Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sedat Unal, and Turkish...
LNA Battalion in Kufra orders closure of Sudanese-Libyan border due to unrest
On 13 January, the LNA’s Subul al-Salam Battalion (Ways of Peace) based in Kufra announced that it has closed all border crossings with Chad and...
Sudanese Rapid Support Forces thwart smuggling of munitions at Libyan border
On 10 January, a Sudanese military official announced that Sudanese Rapid Support Forces had thwarted an attempt to smuggle ammunition across the...
Williams says LPDF extends until June 2022
On 9 January, the UN Special Advisor on Libya, Stephanie Williams, met with the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum (LPDF) women's bloc to discuss the...
France says 300 mercenaries have left eastern Libya
On 4 January, a Spokesperson from the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Anne-Claire Legendre, confirmed that 300 foreign mercenaries have left...
UNSMIL continues broad consultations with Libyan actors
Throughout the last week, the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) and the Special Advisor on Libya, Stephanie Williams, continued their...
France, Germany, Italy, UK, and US release a Joint Statement on election delay
On 24 December, France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, and the US released a Joint Statement recognising HNEC’s postponement of the ballot...
UNSMIL expresses concern about security situation in Tripoli
On 21 December, UNSMIL issued a statement expressing concern at the unfolding security situation in Tripoli. It stated that the mobilisation of...
5+5 JMC discusses Action plan and unification with Williams in Sirte
On 18 December, the UN’s newly appointed Special Advisor on Libya, Stephanie Williams, met with the 5+5 Joint Military Commission (JMC) at its...
New UN Special Advisor Williams arrives in Tripoli
On 12 December, UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) welcomed the newly-appointed Special Adviser to the Secretary-General on Libya, Stephanie...
Turkish frigate off Tripoli coast
A Turkish frigate has been reported off the coast of the Abu Sittah naval base. Later in the week, Turkey's Ministry of National Defense posted...
5+5 JMC meet in Moscow
On 8 December, the 5+5 JMC travelled to Moscow to discuss their Action Plan for the withdrawal of foreign fighters from Libya with Russian...
Guterres appoints Williams as Special Advisor
On 6 December, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres announced that he was appointing former acting UN Envoy to Libya and former Deputy Head of the...
5+5 JMC to meet with Turkish and Russian officials to discuss next steps of Action Plan
On 3 December, the Government of National Unity’s (GNU) Director of Moral Guidance Department stated that the 5+5 Joint Military Commission (JMC)...
Russia and Turkey express concern about elections follow candidate exclusions
On 25 November, the Turkish National Security Council, following a meeting chaired by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, released a statement...
French company Nexa accused of selling phone call interception software to the LNA
Last week, it was reported that France’s Central Office for Combatting Crimes Against Humanity, Genocide and War Crimes (OCLCH) was investigating...
Kubis to depart on 10 December amid rumours UK diplomat a likely replacement
On 24 November, UN Special Envoy to Libya, Jan Kubis, addressed the UN Security Council where he confirmed his resignation from his position with...
UN Envoy to Libya resigns ahead of UNSC meetings
On 23 November, Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported that the Head of the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) and UN Special Envoy to Libya, Jan...
Russian military officials meet with GNU Chief of Staff in Tripoli
On 14 November, the Chief of General Staff of the Government of National Unity (GNU) Ministry of Defence, Mohammed Haddad, met with a Russian...
LNA agrees to withdraw 300 foreign operatives from Libya at France’s request
On 11 November, the 5+5 Joint Military Commission (JMC) representatives from the Libyan National Army (LNA) issued a statement announcing that, at...
5+5 scheduled to meet with Turkey and Russia later this month
On 4 November, Emraji al-Emmami, a member of the 5+5 Joint Military Commission (JMC), stated that the JMC would be meeting separately with officials...
SOHR reports Turkey replaced 150 Syrian mercenaries
On 2 November, the Syrian Observatory of Human Rights (SOHR) reported that 150 Syrian mercenaries had returned to Syria, with a fresh cohort of the...
5+5 JMC meet in Cairo for talks on the withdrawal of foreign forces
On 30 October, members of the 5+5 Joint Military Commission (JMC) convened in Cairo to discuss the withdrawal of foreign operatives from southern...
UNSC sanctions manager of the Nasr Detention Centre
On 26 October the UN Security Council added Osama al-Koni Ibrahim, who manages the Nasr Detention Centre, to its sanctions list, accusing him of...
Egyptian foreign minister meets with eastern leaders
On 21 October, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry met with the head of the Libyan National Army (LNA), Khalifa Haftar, after attending the...
UN observers expected to arrive in Libya before end of October
On 15 October, 5+5 Joint Military Committee (JMC) member, Lieutenant General Faraj al-Sawsaa, stated that observers from the United Nations would...
Reports of withdrawal of Syrian forces from Watiyya airbase
On 13 October, a batch of Syrian forces based in Tripoli were reportedly repatriated from Libya back to Syria by Turkey via Watiyya airbase. More...
FBI arrives in Cyprus to examine aircraft suspected of violating Libyan arms embargo
On 12 October, Cypriot media reported that US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agents were in Cyprus heading to Paphos International Airport to...
Embassies of France, Germany, Italy, the UK and the US in Libya issue a joint statement on Action Plan
On 10 October, the Embassies of France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom and the United States in Libya issued a joint statement welcoming the...
IOM condemns violence against migrants
On 9 October, the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) issued a statement condemning the killing of six migrants and at least 24 injured...
Irini monitors 36 suspicious flights in September
On 5 October, Operation EUNAVFOR MED IRINI reported that during September 2021 it had investigated 215 merchant vessels via radio calls (out of...
Irini monitors 36 suspicious flights in September
On 5 October, Operation EUNAVFOR MED IRINI reported that during September 2021 it had investigated 215 merchant vessels via radio calls (out of...
Mangoush claims foreign mercenaries have begun to leave Libya
On 3 October, Government of National Unity (GNU) Foreign Minister Najla al-Mangoush, confirmed during a conference in Kuwait that ‘some’ foreign...
Menfi receives US Ambassador, head of AFRICOM in Tripoli
On 29 September, the Commander of the US Military Command in Africa (ARICOM), General Stephen Townsend and US Ambassador to Libya Richard Norland,...
Dabaiba travels to Niger to address security concerns at southern borders
On 29 September, Government of National Unity (GNU) Prime Minister Abdul Hameed Dabaiba travelled to Niamey to meet with Nigerien president Mohammed...
Wagner reportedly withdraws from Jufra and al-Ghardabiya air bases
On 26 September, operatives from the Russian private military contractor (PMC) Wagner Group reportedly began to withdraw from Jufra and Sirte’s...
UN to inspect aircraft suspected of carrying weapons to Haftar in Libya
On 21 September, Greek media reported that UN experts are scheduled to arrive in Cyprus in November to inspect a plane in a warehouse at Paphos...
Two Turkish military cargo planes land at Al-Watiya Air Base
On 20 September, two Airbus A400 Turkish military cargo plans took off from Isparta in southwestern Turkey and landed at Al-Watiya Air Base.
Chad and France deny involvement in military operations in Libya
On 17 September, France and Chad denied accusations from FACT that they had been involved in military operations against FACT in southern Libya. The...
Clashes resume between LNA forces and FACT
On 16 September, LNA reinforcements and helicopters arrived in Tmassah as clashes reportedly resumed between LNA and FACT forces north of Aouzou...
Heavy fighting between LNA and Chadian FACT breaks out in southern Libya
On 14 September, Libyan National Army (LNA) Tariq Bin Zayed (TBZ) Special Task Force, following orders from Saddam Haftar, led an assault against...
GNU MoD continues to receive support from Turkey on maritime issues
On 11 September, the Government of National Unity (GNU) Ministry of Defence (MoD) posted images online highlighting Libyan naval officers...
LNA special forces return from training in Egypt
On 8 September, the Libyan National Army’s (LNA) Saiqa Battalion of 106 Brigade returned to Libya from training in Egypt, having graduated from...
Guterres reiterates call for foreign forces to withdraw from Libya
On 3 September, United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres circulated a report to the United Nations Security Council in which he urged...
UNSMIL expresses concern over Tripoli clashes and calls for immediate cessation of hostilities
On 3 September, the UN Support Mission for Libya (UNSMIL), issued a statement expressing ‘grave concern about ongoing armed clashes, including the...
Selection of GNU-aligned forces to receive training in Italy
On 31 August, the Moral Guidance Department for the Libyan Army, aligned with the Government of National Unity (GNU), reported that the selection...
Syrian mercenaries demonstrate in Tripoli against reduced and delayed salaries
On 30 August, Syrian mercenaries protested in Yarmouk and Souk al-Khamis Camps, due to delays in receiving payments and salary reductions. The...
UN welcomes LNA and Misratan joint unity in Central region
On 26 August UNSMIL issued a statement welcoming the formation of a joint unit composed of LNA and Misratan fighters assigned with protecting the...
GNU Chief of Staff visits Turkish frigate
On 24 August, the Government of National Unity (GNU) Chief of Staff Mohammed al-Haddad and an accompanying delegation reportedly visited the Turkish...
Lavrov meets with Mangoush in Moscow for talks on bilateral cooperation
On 19 August, Government of National Unity Minister of Foreign Affairs, Najla Mangoush, met with the Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in...
UNSMIL calls for calm as security actors mobilise
On 18 August, following military activity in Al-Shwayrif, the UN Support Mission for Libya (UNSMIL), called on Libyan parties ‘to refrain from any...
Haddad and Akar meet, discuss Turkish forces in Libya
On 17 August, Chief of Staff Mohammed al-Haddad met in Istanbul with Turkish Defence Minister Hulusi Akar, where the two sides discussed bilateral...
Claims Russia is seeking to install Saif al-Islam Qadhafi as next Libyan President
In the last week, Bloomberg published an article citing informed sources to claim that Russia is working to have Saif al-Islam Qadhafi elected as...
BBC publishes Wagner investigation
On 11 August, the BBC published an exposé on the presence of the Wagner group in Libya following the BBC’s discovery of a tablet left behind by an...
Norland and Haftar meet in Cairo
On 11 August, the American Ambassador and Special Envoy to Libya, Richard Norland, met in Cairo with Libyan National Army (LNA) Commander Khalifa...
Operation EUNAVFOR MED IRINI signs a working arrangement with EUBAM Libya
On 7 August, Operation EUNAVFOR MED IRINI signed a working arrangement with the European Union Border Assistance Mission in Libya (EUBAM Libya). The...
Russian and Syrian fighters killed in landmine blast
On 7 August, the Syrian news network Suwayda 24 reported that a young man from As-Suwayda (southwestern Syria) was killed in Libya, alongside a...
LNA conducts airstrike targeting Chadian rebels
On 31 July, the Libyan National Army (LNA) is reported to have undertaken an airstrike targeting Chadian rebels near the Chadian-Libyan border....
Attorney General signs MOU with Egypt on cooperation on crime and corruption
On 31 July, Attorney General Sadiq al-Sour travelled to Cairo, where he met with his Egyptian counterpart, Hamada al-Sawi. During his visit, Sour...
Jordan, Cyprus and Greece call for withdrawal of foreign forces from Libya
On 29 July, in a trilateral meeting between the leaders of Greece, Jordan and Cyprus in Athens, a joint statement was issued, stressing the...
Saleh accuses Turkey of stockpiling weapons in Libya
On 27 July, Speaker of the House of Representatives (HoR) Aqeela Saleh stated that Turkey was sending a stockpile of military weapons to Libya to be...
Saleh accuses Turkey of stockpiling weapons in Libya
On 27 July, Speaker of the House of Representatives (HoR) Aqeela Saleh stated that Turkey was sending a stockpile of military weapons to Libya to be...
GNU and LNA military delegations visit Moscow
On 26 July, the GNU Chief of General Staff, Lieutenant-General Mohammed al-Haddad, the GNU Chief of Land Forces al-Fitouri Gribel, the GNU Commander...
UNSMIL under review by Security Council
On 31 July, the UN Security Council (UNSC) is due to receive an independent strategic review of the UN Support Mission for Libya (UNSMIL). The...
UNSMIL under review by Security Council
On 31 July, the UN Security Council (UNSC) is due to receive an independent strategic review of the UN Support Mission for Libya (UNSMIL). The...
NGO reports that regular Russian troops are stationed in Libya
On 22 July, the Democracy and Human Rights Foundation (DHRF) released a statement claiming to have received intelligence that regular Russian...
Turkey allegedly establishes air defence systems in Bani Walid after 444 operations in the area
On 19 July, Libyan TV channel 218 claimed that Turkish military officers had entered Bani Walid following operations of the 444 Brigade. It is...
UNSC meeting on Libya reiterates need for elections and withdrawal of foreign forces
On 15 July, the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) held a meeting on Libya chaired by French Foreign Minister, Jean-Yves Le Drian and attended...
Italy’s Parliament votes to renew funding to Libyan coast guard
On 15 July, the Italian Chamber of Deputies voted to renew Italy’s funding to train the Libyan coast guard. On the same day, Amnesty International...
27 April – 4 May: Coastal road remains closed despite pressure from 5+5 JMC
On 29 April, the fourth round of 5+5 JMC talks concluded in Sirte. On 3 May, a high-level Turkish delegation was received in Tripoli by the GNU to discuss strengthening the relations between the two countries.
20 – 27 April: US Ambassador Norland speculates on Wagner role in Chad conflict
On 24 April, the US Ambassador to Libya gave an interview stating that he believed members FACT had been trained by Wagner in Libya. On 26 April, Amnesty International reported that military courts in eastern Libya have convicted hundreds of civilians in unfair military trials’. Last week, the “Libya Stabilization Act” passed the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee (HFAC).