Armed groups took control of several ministries
in Libya's capital of Tripoli, Al Arabiya reported Jan. 12. Groups linked to the
General National Congress are reportedly responsible for the actions, which targeted
the ministries of Defense, Justice and Economy. With three rival governments and
the country's internationally recognized leadership, the Government of National
Accord, losing ground, Libya is a country divided[1].
The situation in Libya is certainly chaotic and
confusing, but the attempted coup did not succeed; the armed groups have taken
advantage of some factors: the absence of Serraj, traveling to Cairo to search
for support, the meeting, in Tobruk, between General Khalifa Haftar and the
Russian Military Chief of Staff Valery Gerasimov[2].
Armed groups would be linked to Ghwell Khalifa,
the former prime minister of the dissolved Islamist Libyan government of
national salvation and leader last October of a failed coup against the
Government of National Accord of Tripoli.
In Tripoli, there are many armed factions, some
linked to Sarraj, while others hostile to the Government of National Accord. In
this context cannot be excluded that the armed groups in question may also be
close to the authorities of Cyrenaica, that is, the forces of General Khalifa
Haftar sworn enemy of the Muslim Brotherhood and Islamist groups inspired by
the Brotherhood. From this chaos could benefit the general Khalifa Haftar, with
troops located also in the south of Tripoli. The men of Ghwell may have also
acted to prevent any political compromise between the General Haftar and the
Tripoli government, recognized by the United Nations and close ally of Italy.
Local media report that Islamic militias, close
to the General Haftar, oppose the presence of Italian military (Special Forces
and soldiers of the Folgore Brigade to protect a field hospital) on Libyan
soil; meantime, it must be said that the Russian role in support of Haftar in Libya
is getting stronger. It seems that there are negotiations for a permanent
presence of the Russian Navy in Cyrenaica, to increase the influence of Moscow
in the country after the removal of Gaddafi.
Officially, the Russian presence is linked to
non-well clear measures for the fight against international terrorism; this has
been discussed among Haftar and the Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu
during a video conference on the Kuznetsov aircraft carrier returning from
Syria.
The joint final statement said: After a brief tour of the ship, Marshal
Khalifa Haftar held a video conference with Russian Defense Minister Sergei
Shoigu to discuss urgent issues of the fight against international terrorist
groups in the Middle East.[3]
The Sarraj government becomes weaker and
weaker; the Trump presidency does not consider Libya a priority and the
situation could worsen in 2017, particularly for countries facing the
Mediterranean, Italy first.
[1] https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2017/01/13/Rival-government-tries-to-seize-ministry-buildings-in-Tripoli.html
[2] https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/north-africa/2017/01/11/Russian-military-team-in-Libya-to-meet-Haftar-Saleh-Issa.html
[3] https://sputniknews.com/military/201701111049485791-haftar-libya-kuznetsov-russia/