On 22 August, a Russian military delegation led by Deputy Minister of Defense Yunus-bek Yevkurov arrived in Benghazi at the invitation of Libyan...
Russia strengthens military ties to LNA with high-level visit amid death of Wagner leader
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Results for "Wagner "
Wagner allegedly targeted in drone strikes on Khadim base as GNU, LNA deny responsibility
On 29 June, facilities of the Wagner mercenaries at al-Khadim Air Force Base in the Kharouba area south of al-Marj were reportedly attacked by at...
Wagner halts march to Moscow following Minsk-brokered deal
On 24 June, Wagner Group commander Yevgeny Prigozhin ordered his fighters to halt their advance on Moscow and return to their bases in southern...
US urges Haftar to prevent destabilisation in Sudan by Wagner
On 27 April, US Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs, Barbara Leaf, said she spoke with Libyan National Army (LNA) Commander...
LNA, Wagner Group accused of sending support to RSF in Sudan
On 19 April, the Wall Street Journal reported that Libyan National Army (LNA) Commander Khalifa Haftar had sent at least one shipment of ammunition...
Italy accuses Wagner of being behind spike in migration flows and failing to respond to capsized vessel north of Benghazi
On 12 March, a boat carrying 47 people from eastern Libya towards Italy capsized due to bad weather in the central Mediterranean about 177km north...
Reports US is seeking to push Wagner out of Libya
On 3 February, The Associated Press and the Wall Street Journal claimed that regional officials from Libya, Egypt, and Sudan have stated that the US...
Reports of Wagner movement in recent weeks
Between 19 and 20 June, movements of operatives from the Russian private military contractor (PMC) the Wagner Group were observed in Tamanhint,...
Lavrov claims Wagner invited to Libya by HoR, denied by HoR members
On 2 May, Russia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sergei Lavrov, stated in an interview with the Italian broadcaster Mediaset that the Wagner Group...
Wagner operatives withdrawn from Sokna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last fortnight, reports emerged that operatives from the Russian private military contractor (PMC) Wagner Group have withdrawn from their...
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...
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...
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).
3 – 10 March: Pro-Assad Syrian mercenaries deployed by Wagner in Libya
On 3 March, Israel’s Environment Protection Minister claimed a ‘Libyan-owned pirate vessel’ committed an “act of environmental terrorism” against Israel. On 4 March, the Head UNSMIL met the Russian Foreign in Moscow to discuss political and economic developments in Libya. On 5 March, reports emerged that the Russian Wagner PMC has transferred a new group of mercenaries from Syria to fight in Libya.
15 – 21 July: Africom verifies landmines and IED imagery allegedly laid by Wagner forces
On 15 July, Turkish President Erdogan and US President Trump agreed to strengthen their cooperation on Libya. The same day, AFRICOM said it had verified photographic evidence of landmines and IEDs allegedly found in Tripoli that had been laid by the Russian Wagner Group. On 16 July, US State Department Assistant Secretary Schenker described the EU mission to stop arms shipments to Libya as not being ‘serious’ and accused the EU of being ‘biased’ for only criticising Turkey. On 17 July, France rebuffed Schenker’s assertions. On 19 July, Egyptian president Sisi held a phone call with US President Trump in which the two leaders reportedly agreed on maintaining a ceasefire. On 20 July, Egypt’s parliament authorised the deployment of Egyptian troops on combat missions outside the country.
US civil case filed against Haftar and Prigozhin for ‘war crimes’ against Libyans
On 17 July, the Libyan-American Alliance (LAA) announced that it had filed a lawsuit against Russia’s Wagner Group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin and...
Haftar ‘promised’ RSF to provide advanced anti-aircraft cannons, say Darfuri rebel sources
On 17 May, a Middle East Eye report citing sources from Darfuri rebel factions, who maintain a presence in Libya’s southern region, said that Libyan...
Haftar may have been ‘pressured’ into supporting RSF, says Sudan’s Sovereignty Council
On 10 May, a member of Sudan's Sovereignty Council, Yasser al-Atta, stated that they have received conflicting information that Libyan National Army...
UN envoy says Haftar has no decisive role in Sudanese conflict despite supporting Hemedti
In an interview with Deutsche Welle published on 5 May, the UN Envoy to Sudan Volker Perthes stated that he could say ‘very little about the role of...
US Assistant Secretary of State meets separately with Haftar and Saleh
On 20 March, US Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Barbara Leaf accompanied a delegation headed by Special Envoy Richard Norland...
Images surface of dead soldiers in Ukraine carrying Libyan banknotes and Haftar’s number
Last week, images surfaced on social media purportedly showing dead Wagner operatives in Popasna, eastern Ukraine. According to Ukrainian sources,...
EU official: 20,000 mercenaries from Syria and Libya in Ukraine
On 19 April, Western media sources reported that an anonymous European Union (EU) official had claimed that 10,000 to 20,000 mercenaries were on the...
Arrest warrant issued for Saif al-Islam Qadhafi
On 11 August, the GNU Military Prosecutor, Mohammed Gharouda's, order for Saif al-Islam al-Qadhafi, the son of the former dictator Muammar...
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...
Archive Guide
How to use our archiveThe Libya Security Monitor (LSM) has an archive covering the most significant security incidents since June 2014. Our updates...
11 – 16 March: GNA claims that Russian and Sudanese fighters have returned to Sirte
On 8 March, the UAE reportedly transferred military equipment and personnel to an Egyptian military base at Sidi Barrani. On 12 March, the GNA stated that Russian and Sudanese mercenaries have returned to Sirte following their brief withdrawal.
18 February – 3 March: Kadyrov claims Dabaiba will train Libyan special forces in Chechnya
On 22 February, the President of the Chechen Republic discussed training for Libyan special forces with Libya’s Prime Minister designate. On 23 February, the UN Office of Military Affairs and Police stated it had the capacity to monitor the Libyan ceasefire on the ground if this is requested by the UN. On 27 February, The Times reported that that Wagner PMCs ‘no longer pretend to work for Haftar and the LNA’.
16 – 23 February: Haftar hired western mercenaries headed by ex-Blackwater Erik Prince
On 21 February, Reuters revealed that a report submitted to the UNSC states that Erik Prince provided private military services to the LNA. This week, members of the 5+5 JMC travelled to Moscow to discuss the ‘unofficial Russia presence’ in Libya via the Wagner Group. Reports also emerged that technicals belonging to Sudanese mercenaries departed Libya.
18 – 24 November: HoR members travel to Tangier
On 23 November, a new virtual round of the UN-led Libyan Political Dialogue Forum (LPDF) began. On 22 November, representatives from both the Tripoli-based and Tubruq-based House of Representatives (HoR) travelled to Tangier, Morocco. On 18 November, head of the Audit Bureau, Shakshak, referred the head of the GNA al-Serraj to the Public Prosecutor. On 18 November, the GNA’s Volcano of Rage said that Wagner mercenaries and Sudanese Janjaweed forces were still ‘flooding into’ Sirte.
4 – 10 November: Several passengers from Benghazi arrested at Tripoli’s Mitiga airport
On 4 November, LNA Commander Haftar reportedly launched an operation in Benghazi to expand joint security cooperation. Also, on 4 November, clashes erupted in Tarhouna. On 5 November, the military spokesman of the GNA, Dara, claimed the presence of Russian Wagner mercenaries in Sirte. The same day, it was reported that Turkish troops would remain in Libya for as long as the GNA wishes. On 6 November, several citizens arriving at Tripoli’s Mitiga airport from Benina Airport in Benghazi were arrested on charges of taking part in the 2019 attack on Tripoli.
23 – 29 September: Mi-24 helicopter crashes at Sawknah
On 28 September, military and police delegations from western and eastern Libya met in Egypt. On 24 September, violent clashes reportedly occurred between GNA-aligned forces in Tajoura. On 23 September, LNA Commander Haftar and Speaker of the HoR Saleh met in Cairo with Egyptian President al-Sisi. On 23 September, a Mi-24 helicopter crashed at Sawknah. On 21 September, renewed protests against corruption occurred in Benghazi.
16 – 22 September: Russia brokers deal to restart oil production
On 17 September, details emerged of a Russian-brokered deal between the PC/GNA Deputy Prime Minister Maiteeq and Khalid Haftar, son of the head of the LNA. Also on 17 September, the UN released a statement welcoming Serraj’s announcement to resign. On 21 September, the EU imposed sanctions on 3 companies and 2 Libyan individuals.
2 September – 8 September: MoI Bashaagha is reinstated
On 3 September, the PC of the GNA announced that the GNA’s Minister of Interior (MoI), Bashaagha, had been re-instated. On 7 September, the GNA’s VoR spokesperson, Gununu, announced hat it had taken down a helicopter belonging to the LNA near the Sirte-Jufra frontlines. On 2 September, Gununu accused LNA forces of violating a declared ceasefire for the second time in 3 days. On 4 September, the spokesperson for the GNA Sirte-Jufra Operations Room, Drah, denied that mercenaries from the Russian PMC Wagner had pulled out of Sirte and Jufra.
2 September – 8 September: HoR and HSC travel to Morocco for discussions
On 6 September, delegations representing the HoR and HCS met under the auspices of UNSMIL and Moroccan Foreign Minister, Bourita, in Morocco. On 7 September, head of the GNA, Serraj was received by Turkish President Erdogan in Istanbul for a closed-door meeting. On 2 September, the acting head of the UNSMIL, Williams, said to the UNSC that foreign supporters in Libya were helping stockpile weapons in breach of an arms embargo. On 1 September, the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy of the EU, Borrel, met with head of the GNA, Serraj and head of the HoR, Saleh to help advance the dialogue process in the country. On 1 September, Italian Foreign Minister di Maio made an unannounced visit to Libya, where he met separately with Serraj and Saleh.
22 – 28 July: Africom accuses Russia of heavy weapons delivery
On 24 July, AFRICOM said it had mounting evidence for heavy weapons delivery from Russia to the Wagner Group in Libya. On 28 July, Head of UNSMIL, Stephanie Williams, announced the start of the international audit of the two branches of the CBL. Both the GNA and LNA forces continued to build up forces around Sirte last week
1 July – 7 July: Turkish officials visit Tripoli
On 3 July, a Turkish delegation made an unannounced visit to Tripoli to meet with senior GNA officials. On 1 July, France temporarily withdrew its participation from NATO’s Operation Sea Guardian. On 3 July, the speaker of the HoR, Saleh, held a meeting in Moscow with Russian Foreign Minister, Lavrov. On 1 July, a high-level US delegation undertook a meeting with LNA officials to discuss DDR initiatives. Also on 1 July, Saleh, met with Greek Foreign Minister, Dendias, in Tubruq.
1 July – 7 July: Attack on Watiya airbase
On 5 July, Watiya airbase was attacked, but no one has claimed responsibility. Over the last week, both the GNA and LNA forces have maintained their positions in Sirte, but there has been little active fighting. On 2 July, the GNA MoI Bashaagha announced that the new INTERPOL office in Tripoli had been opened.
24 June – 30 June: Foreign mercenaries enter Sharara oilfield
On 25 June, a convoy of Russian and other foreign mercenaries entered Sharara oilfield. On 26 June, French President Macron had a meeting with Russian President Putin where the two discussed Libya. On 24 June, the US State Department met virtually with the GNA’s Ministry of Interior to discuss DDR. On 25 June, France, Italy and Germany released a joint statement calling for an end to foreign interference in Libya.
10 June – 16 June: Reinforcement of positions in Sirte
Over the last week, forces aligned to the GNA have reinforced positions to the west of Sirte, while LNA forces have reinforced positions inside Sirte. On 9 June, the LNA restructured its command of operations near Sirte. On 12 June, the GNA Western Military Region Commander, Usama al-Juwaili, expanded his control over large areas of Zintan.
3 June – 9 June: GNA announces liberation of Tripoli
On 3 June, GNA Prime Minister al-Serraj announced the complete liberation of Tripoli. On 5 June, GNA forces entered Tarhouna and Bani Walid. On 6 June, the GNA Sirte-Jufra Operations Room declared Operation “Paths of Victory” to capture Sirte and Jufra. On 9 June, the NOC proclaimed that LNA affiliated forces had entered the Sharara field and interrupted operations.
20 May – 26 May: AFRICOM claims Russia deployed military aircraft in Libya
On 26 May, AFRICOM assessed that Russia had deployed military fighter aircraft to Libya. Just before, PMCs belonging to the Russian Wagner Group had entered Bani Walid and some were being evacuated by air to Jufra. Over the last week, politicians from the US, Turkey, UAE, France and the UN called for a political solution in Libya.
8 – 14 April: Russia sending Syrian fighters to Libya
On 13 April, Russia allegedly sent Syrian fighters to Libya to fight for the LNA. The same day, the Sudanese MFA released a statement denying that any forces from its country were participating in the clashes in southern Tripoli or within Libya more broadly. This comes amid several photos circulating online claiming that Sudanese forces were killed on the Abu Grein axis.
18 – 31 December 2019: UNHCR renewed its call for protecting civilians in Libya as international involvement increases
On 17 December, the Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs visited Libya and met with Serraj and Haftar. On 21 December, a senior US State Department official said that the US is “very concerned” about the intensification of the conflict in Libya. On 23 December, the EU issued a statement reiterating its calls on all Libyan parties to cease all military actions and resume the political dialogue. On 24 December, a high-profile meeting gathered together representatives from the Russian and Turkish foreign ministries. On 25 December, Turkish President Erdogan paid a surprise visit to Tunisia and met with Tunisian President Saied. On 28 December, Italian Prime Minister Conte warned that Russia and Turkey, and not Europe, are setting the agenda in Libya’s conflict. On 29 December, Greek Prime Minister Mitsotakis said that Greece wants to be included in the UN-sponsored Berlin conference on the Libya conflict. On 29 December UN Envoy to Libya, Salamé, called for greater civilian protection following several incidents in western Libya.