The US state Department threatened sanctions on the commander of the Libyan national army (LNA) to Marshal the Caliph Haftarot

Magharebia / commons.wikimedia.org

The troops of the Haftarot with the support of the soldiers of PMC Wagner and Sudanese mercenaries at the end of June put under the control of the country’s largest oil field Shachar, and in early July, the main Libyan export port of es-sider

Freeze-frame video of Al Jazeera English / YouTube

The US state Department threatened sanctions on the commander of the Libyan national army (LNA) to Marshal the Caliph Haftarot. According to the Wall Street Journal, the reason for this was the message that acting on the side of the Libyan opposition Russian mercenaries PMC Wagner took in June, the city of es Sidra and helped to block oil exports.

According to the newspaper, American military intelligence is investigating the connection of the Haftarah with Russia. While the WSJ indicates that until now, the administration of Donald trump officially recognizing the Central government in Tripoli, was considered commander of the LDF as a possible ally in the fight against radical Islamists.

“The military forces of the warlord are one of the groups which we have followed because of their connection with the Russian military and Russian intelligence,” said a source in the Pentagon. The newspaper’s source added that information about possible sanctions field Marshal gave the representatives of the US state Department. The representative of Department said that Washington calls on all parties in Libya “to reject attempts to militarize the energy sector, section of economic institutions, and the subordination of critical infrastructure to foreign interests.”

The troops of the Haftarot with the support of the soldiers of PMC Wagner and Sudanese mercenaries at the end of June put under the control of the country’s largest oil field Shachar, and in early July, the main Libyan export port of es sider. This happened after the UN recognized the national consensus government in Tripoli tried to resume suspended in January oil exports from the country.

The representative of the Libyan National oil Corporation (NOC) said that Russian and other foreign mercenaries to hinder the resumption of production and export of oil. Evaluation S&P Global Platts, since in January the Union Haftarot Eastern tribes have blocked oil exports, Libya has lost $6.5 billion of oil revenues.

In early July, Haftar was ready to give in to the pressure of Western countries and let the government in Tripoli to resume oil production and export. But after the capture of the soldiers of PMC Wagner of port of es-sider, he changed his mind. Now for the lifting of the oil embargo, the army of the Haftarah puts forward three requirements: the transfer of part of revenues from the oil exports controlled by the Haftarot of the Eastern provinces into a special account outside Libya, prevent the use of oil revenues by the government in Tripoli on a military target, and audit the use of these revenues in recent years.

These requirements are actually shared by the Russian Ministry of foreign Affairs: his spokesman Maria Zakharova said that each of the three historical regions of the country – Tripolitania, Cyrenaica and Fezzan – have the right to have an equal opportunity of earning income from exploitation of the oil resources of Libya.

According to the WSJ, the Haftarot, at the time that Muammar Gaddafi was living in the us state of Virginia and became a us citizen, still owns real estate in the United States, which is more than 500 thousand dollars. It is assumed that the sanctions may relate to including these assets.

In mid-July, the African command of the U.S. armed forces (AFRICOM) has accused Russian group of mercenaries from private military companies (PMCs) Wagner at the laying of a large number of anti-personnel mines in the vicinity of Tripoli. AFRICOM referred to the “verified photographic data,” which indicate random placement of camouflaged bombs and mine fields around the outskirts of Tripoli are located to the East of the seaside town of Sirte. The AFRICOM stated that these actions are another violation of the UN embargo on arms supplies of Libya and threaten the lives of civilians, and themselves explosive devices were delivered to Libya directly “vagnerovsky”.

“Supported by the Russian government, a group of Wagner demonstrates a complete disregard for the safety of Libyans. The irresponsible tactics of the group of Wagner prolongs the conflict and is the cause of unnecessary suffering and death of innocent civilians. Russia powerless to stop it, but doesn’t want,” said major General Africom Bradford of Gering. The number of soldiers PMC Wagner in Libya is estimated at two thousand people.

At the end of may it was reported that from Russia were imported to Syria at least 14 MiG-29 aircraft with the painted marking. Subsequently, the aircraft was taken to Libya for support of General Khalifa the Haftarot in violation of a UN arms embargo. According to estimates AFRICOM, aircraft operated in Libyan airspace, which further complicates the conflict in Libya and increases the risk of miscalculations.

On 9 June, Deputy foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov said that information about the fighting in Libya, the soldiers of PMC Wagner built on fraudulent data and is directed on discredit of the Russian policy.