This week I am updating audiences at the War and Peace Festival in Kent about the latest situation in Libya.

What has happened to the family of the Manchester bomber? What are the challenges facing the new Head of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya? Will Russia and Putin fill the vacuum left by the West when they pulled out of the country? How important is General Haftar? How big a threat is ISIS? How do we solve the migration crisis, given the perceived failings of Operation Sophia.

https://warandpeacerevival.com/visitors/authors-pavilion/

Afriqiyah Airways have re-started flights to and from Benghazi’s main airport and launched services to Zintan and Mitiga in the past few days. This is another sign of light at the end of the security tunnel and economic opportunity in Libya.

In 2011, Special Forces destroyed Gadhafi’s Sukhoi interceptor and ground attack aircraft at Benina, which saved many lives.  See chapter 6 of Belfast to Benghazi.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Belfast-Benghazi-Untold-Challenges-War/dp/1861515669

Tripoli International has received its first flight since the wanton destruction in 2014 closed the airport.

Several Libyan militias have controlled this important prize since Moqtar al-Aktar captured it during the revolution.  Now the Presidential Guard has secured it for the recognised government, the next step is for international aircraft to return, which would be a significant indicator of progress.

See page 254 of Belfast to Benghazi to read about my first visit to the airport soon after it was captured by the Zintan Brigade in 2011.

https://www.waterstones.com/book/belfast-to-benghazi/rupert-wieloch/9781861515667

Mirroring the Iraqi Army progress in Mosul, the LNA is clearing Islamic militants from Benghazi and has advanced from Suq-al-Hout, which was captured on Friday.  Many civilians wish to return to their homes, but there are undiscovered booby traps among the residences, so  they will have to wait until the de-mining teams finish their work.

Recognizing recent progress, the UAE deputy chief of staff Major General Eisa Saif Al-Mazrouei visited the LNA over the weekend.  It does look like the fractured eastern part of Libya is becoming more cohesive, but will this lead to a greater division with the West?

See Chapter 6 of Belfast to Benghazi for an understanding of the historic tensions between Cyrenaica and Tripolitania.

https://www.waterstones.com/book/belfast-to-benghazi/rupert-wieloch/9781861515667

 

 

 

After four months, the Secretary General has finally announced the replacement for Martin Kobler, who will be remembered for successfully brokering the 2015 Libyan Political Agreement.

Good luck to Lebanon’s Ghassan Salamé, who has taken on the intractable task of finding compromise between the 3 centres of power in Libya.  The Tobruk-based, House of Representatives supported by General Haftar’s Libyan National Army is as far away as ever from the UN backed Government of National accord, headed by Fayez al-Serraj. Add the Misratan mavericks into the mix and it is easy to see why we should not anticipate a quick political resolution in 2017.

http://www.waterstones.com/book/belfast-to-benghazi/rupert-wieloch/9781861515667

Very sad to hear of the death and serious injuries to the Royal Tank Regiment soldiers during the training at Castlemartin Ranges.  It is a salutary reminder of the hazards associated with live firing exercises which can be as demanding as front line combat.  There is an important difference between sanitized computer games and the rough physical distractions in armoured warfare.  But replicating the friction of war has to be secondary to ensuring our soldiers are trained in a safe environment.

 

 

 

It is widely reported that Saif al-Islam has been released from Zintan under an amnesty issued by the House of Representatives.  Will he be a figure in the increasing division between East and West, or disappear into the desert?  Whatever happens, he is still indicted by the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity.  See page 254 of Belfast to Benghazi for the story of his capture in 2011 and my visit to Zintan soon afterwards.

https://www.waterstones.com/book/belfast-to-benghazi/rupert-wieloch/9781861515667

In a joint operation, forces from Misratah and Zliten have arrested a Libyan man running one of the biggest human trafficking rings in the country along with 168 illegal migrants.

It is good to see the divided Libyan forces are beginning to work together to stem the tide.  This small step forward will help build confidence with the international community, which is making large donations to improve the conditions in the migrants detention centres.

The Presidency Council has announced the formation of 7 military zones across Libya. These are Tripoli, Benghazi, Tobruk, Sebha, Kufra and the Central and Western regions. They have grouped Misratah and the Tunisian border area within the Tripoli zone, which will cause problems.  See page 264 of Belfast to Benghazi for the 7 areas of strategic interest in 2011, each with  unique security challenges as well as common problems of militia integration and border security.

https://www.waterstones.com/book/belfast-to-benghazi/rupert-wieloch/9781861515667

The Libyan leader’s short meeting with President Trump yesterday in Riyadh was followed up last night, be it coincidentally, by the attack in Manchester which targeted innocent young victims.  Our deepest sympathy goes out to the bereaved.  We have to ask questions why the Libyan terrorist, born in Manchester, committed such an atrocity.  The radicalization of Libyan young men, some of whom went across to Syria in the Arab Spring, is a disease that requires a new cure.