International actors
Tracking developments of international actors in Libya’s security space including military activity, the presence of foreign operatives and diplomacy pertaining to Libya’s security.
Libyan army & LNA troops participate in EFES-2026 exercise in Turkey
Currently, 177 troops from the Libyan army and 331 troops (including a naval vessel) from the Libyan National Army (LNA) are participating in EFES-2026, the Turkish Armed Forces’ combined/joint exercise, with consists of a computer-assisted command-post phase and a...
Turkey stresses support for “One Army, One Libya” principle at end of EFES-2026
On 20 May, the spokesman of the Turkish Ministry of Defence Zeki Aktürk, announced in a press briefing that in total 502 Libyan forces soldiers participated in the ongoing EFES-2026 manoeuvres in İzmir, 331 from the east of the country (including a naval vessel) and...
Al-Hishri appears at the ICC
On 19 to 21 May, Libyan militia leader Khaled Mohamed Ali al-Hishri will appear at the International Criminal Court (ICC) on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity. Judges will hear evidence against al-Hishri in a ‘confirmation of charges’ hearing to...
Dabaiba leads Libyan delegation to Rome migration meeting
On 19 May, a meeting of the Quadripartite Cooperation Committee for Combating Irregular Migration was held in Rome. Participants representing PM Abdul Hameed Dabaiba included National Security Advisor Ibrahim Dabaiba and Minister of State Walid Al-Lafi, alongside...
Libya-bound Ukrainian cargo plane briefly detained over undeclared explosives
On 16 May, media reports began circulating about a Ukrainian cargo plane bound for Libya being detained due to carrying undeclared explosives. The airplane in question is a Ukrainian Antonov An-12B turboprop heavy cargo aircraft, operated by Cavok Air, which is a...
Drone strikes against RSF convoys in south-eastern Libya
On 16 May, drone strikes reportedly targeted Rapid Support Force (RSF) supply convoys from south-eastern Libya. Satellite imagery captured on 20 May shows multiple burn scars along a smuggling route stretching from south-eastern Libya into Sudan’s Darfur region. On 24...
Saddam Haftar meets high-level officials in Moscow
On 12 May in the afternoon, Libyan National Army (LNA) Deputy Commander Lieutenant General Saddam Haftar arrived with his delegation in Moscow, Russia, in response to an official invitation from the Russian Ministry of Defense. Saddam Haftar was received at the...
NGO ship comes under live fire from Libyan coast guard
The security threats to Search and Rescue (SAR) vessels operating off Libya appears to be getting worse as another vessel comes under live fire from a Libyan vessel, with Europe downplaying the incident. On 11 May, the rescue ship Sea-Watch 5 reportedly came under...
EUNAVFOR Operation Irini begins preparations for Benghazi MRCC project
On 11 May, a joint team from Operation Irini, the EU Delegation to Libya, EUBAM, and the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) conducted a technical site survey in Benghazi for the Maritime Rescue Coordination Center (MRCC) project. According to Irini, this included...