Crisis in Libya

Amid crisis in LIbya, Russia has recently declared that Russian troops will be leading the war against Government of National Accord (GNA) in Libya. Before we move forward to the issue, we need to take a look at it’s root.

After the demise of Gaddafi regime, two powers came up in Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya a.k.a Libya.

First one, the military force of Libya, headed by Khalifa Haftar

 

Second one, Government of National Accord (GNA) approved by the United Nations (U.N.)

History Decoded

The Muslim Brotherhood is one of the largest Islamist political party and militant group in Libya, known for it’s radical ideology.

It was established in Benghazi in 1949 by members of the Egyptian Brotherhood fleeing a government crackdown in Cairo. Colonel Muammar Gaddafi criminalized the Brotherhood after he came to power in Libya in 1969. Throughout the 1980s, the Gaddafi regime hunted down and executed Brotherhood leaders and other members.

After the end of Gaddafi regime in 2011, the Brotherhood was quick to reestablish its presence in Libya. In March 2012, Brotherhood activist Mohamed Sowan formed the Justice and Construction Party (JCP), a political party that sought to establish a Libyan Islamist caliphate. Once in parliament, the JCP reportedly formed strategic alliances with independent seat holders to increase its political influence over the country’s secular and nationalist coalition, the National Forces Alliance (NFA).

From this we can conclude, the the Government of National Accord (G.N.A.) is more or less a puppet of the Libyan Muslim Brotherhood.

Stance of Arab Nations on the Issue

United Arab Emirated (U.A.E.)

The Emirates are seen as a trusted partner of Khalifa Haftar. A November 2019 U.N. Report suggests that U.A.E. had supplied arms and weapons to Khalifa’s army.

Egypt

President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi took power after a 2013 military coup, Egypt's first democratically elected head of state. The group was outlawed that same year and declared a "terrorist" organisation by Egyptian authorities.

During a recent trip to Cairo, Haftar - who received part of his military training in Egypt - said he would take over Tripoli "within hours" if Egypt were to send troops to assist his forces.

Saudi Arabia

According to Wall Street Journal (WSJ) Saudi Arabia offered tens of millions of dollars tohelp Haftar's Tripoli attack.
According to the US publication, the offer came during a visit by Haftar to the Saudi capital, Riyadh, in late March 2019, days before the launch of his assault on Tripoli.

Turkey

Turkey has been one of the GNA's foremost supporters since its inception in 2015. Ankara has stepped up its military support for the GNA in the face of Haftar's military campaign.

In addition to armoured vehicles, the GNA was reported to have bought 20 Bayraktar TB2 drones from Turkey last summer

Why are major western powers supporting Khalifa Haftar?

If GNA emerges victorious in the Libyan crisis, it will be a victory of ‘Muslim Brotherhood’ in the region. The New Libyan Government will then continue to destablise the region, which is a matter of concern for U.S.A. and some other European nations. So US is kind of silent on Russia’s intervention in the matter.

Why is Russia supporting Khalifa Haftar?

If GNA emerges victorious, it will supply their rich resources of Oil and Natural Gas to Turkey, as per their MoU. This will end the dependency of European nations on Russia. Russia wants Europe to depend on it, at any cost, for Natural Gas, or else it will disrupt their economy. This is the reason why Russia is directly interfering in the Libyan Crisis.

Why is Turkey supporting GNA?

The maritime border delineation deal is a way for Ankara to affirm its position as a leading power in the region, according to analysts, who are quick to point out that drilling rights in the contested seabed only tell part of the story.


If Libya falls under Haftar, who is an ally of the UAE, which in turn is antagonistic to Turkey, that essentially puts all of Turkish maritime interests in the Mediterranean at the mercy of the UAE, Egypt and Greece."