Tobruk @en – European Affairs Magazine

In 2016 Libya ‘‘continued to worsen and slide on all economic, security and social fronts"

2 Maggio 2017 BreakingNews @en di

New report from the Audit Bureau, based in Tripoli, gave it back is report on Libyan global situation for last year. In its 623-page 2016 Annual Report published on 26 April, the Tripoli-based Audit Bureau said that in 2016 Libya ‘‘continued to worsen and slide on all economic, security and social fronts’’ which it depicted as the ‘‘worse periods that Libya has passed through’’. It was an ‘‘exceptional period filled with dangers in the absence of most state authorities’’ which inflicted physical damage on citizens and the state. One of the main reason of this failure is Libyan division since December 2015, between Tobruck and Tripoli. And some institutions, as the CBL (Central Bank of Libya), work in a complete isolation. The Report exposed the GNA’s lack of competences to plan a real policy for Libya. As a result, 2016, was the worth year in term of financial revenue for the country.

US President’s Deputy assistant proposes splitting Libya into three.

11 Aprile 2017 BreakingNews @en di

According to the British newspaper The Guardian, a White House Deputy assistant to President Donald Trump, Sebastian Gorka, has reportedly suggested that Libya be split and divided. He purposed a Libyan division based on Ottoman’s provinces plan, which means Cyrenaica in the east, Tripolitania in the north-west and Fezzan in the south-west. This idea had been told to an European Union official, according to The Guardian, this EU sources answered that it could be the worst solution for the country. This idea could create an other division in Lybia, still divided between West Libya governed by Tripoli and Eastern Libya governed by Tobruck.

Libya: Italy’s ambassador meets HoR speaker in Tobruk for political discussions

6 Aprile 2017 BreakingNews @en di

The Italian ambassador in Libya, Giuseppe Perrone, has arrived in Tobruk to meet with the House of Representatives’ Speaker, Aguilah Saleh, to discuss the current political affairs in the country. According to the media office of the HoR, Perrone will discuss about the statu quo in Libya. This will enforce Italian position in Libya. Italy had been the first country to reopen an embassy in Libya, it has also started to issue visas for Libyans three days ago, and offered to open an Italian consulate in eastern Libya.

Tobruck's government in the Cairo to ask more sustain to Haftar's operations, but Egypt has also gave its sustain to Tripoli's government BDB

14 Marzo 2017 BreakingNews @en di

The Tobruck’s government, guided by Abdullah Al-Thinni, had been a meeting in the Cairo to ask more sustain to Haftar’s operations. The visit comes before the meeting of the Arab foreign ministers at the Arab League prior to the Arab Summit that will take place in Amman. But Egypt has also gave its sustain to Tripoli’s government, which sustain BDB (Benghazi Defence Brigade) so the opposition of the HoR (House of Representatives) which act on the ground under the LNA (Libyan National Army). Each Libyan’s governments is trying to receive the sustain of Egypt, but Egypt seems to be more in favour of the GNA (General National Accord) than the HoR, since conflicts in the Oil Crescent. Egypt could be the State who will help to unify Libya, and allowed discussions between the divergent fractions.

Libyan Parliament has broke the negotiation for a united Libya after the attacks of the oil croissant, and the opposition to the Haftar regime

8 Marzo 2017 BreakingNews @en di

According to the French newspaper, Libyan Parliament seating in Tobrouk (East Libye) has broke the negotiation for a united Libya after the attacks of the oil croissant, and the opposition to the Haftar regime. He has also withdraw his signature from the Skhirat agreement, signed on Dicember 2015, under ONU supervision. This Parliament had never recognize the Parliament of Tripoli under Sarraj presidency. This oil crisis in perspective will aggravate the Libyan chaos.

Chaos inside Tobruk House of Representatives after MPs failed to select a new team to represent Libyan political dialogue.

1 Marzo 2017 BreakingNews @en di

Chaos erupted inside Tobruk-based House of Representatives on Monday after MPs failed to select a new dialogue team to represent them in the forthcoming Libyan political dialogue meetings. MP Faraj Bu Hashem accused Parliament Speaker Aqailah Saleh of creating chaos by attempting to espouse unilateralism. “The parliament speaker is trying to impose his opinion on other MPs”, Bu Hashem posted in his Facebook timeline. The parliament session, which was broadcasted live on TV, saw a heated debate between the MPs over the selection of the new team. Aqailah Saleh wanted the new team to be selected on regional basis by him rather than by election. Using his power, Aqailah rejected the election choice and clung to his regional option, causing anger among the MPs. Other MPs, who are loyal to KhalifaHaftar, wanted the new team members to be made up of the rejectionist MPs of the Libyan political agreement. “The Presidency of the parliament is the one that is entitled to select the new team and the speaker of the parliament is the one who represents the parliament in and outside Libya”, Aqailah said live on TV, adding that discussion over the selection of the new dialogue team was put on agenda to hear the opinions of the MPs only.

Libyan High Council of State agrees to meet Libyan House of Representatives delegation in Cairo to reach a political settlement to the Libyan civil conflict

17 Febbraio 2017 BreakingNews @en/Middle East - Africa di

Members of Libya’s High Council of State have agreed to meet a delegation from the Libyan House of Representatives in Cairo as part of talks hosted by Egypt to reach a political settlement to the Libyan civil conflict, according to Egypt’s army spokesman. Egypt’s Army Chief of Staff Mahmoud Hegazi, who is mediating talks between Libyan factions, received on Thursday the delegation from Libya’s High Council of State with the attendance of Egyptian foreign minister Sameh Shoukry. Talks were held on Monday and Tuesday between the chairman of the Libyan Presidential Council Fayaz Al-Sarraj, who is based in the capital Tripoli in the west of the country and is recognised by the UN as the country’s president, and Field Marshall Khalifa Haftar and Parliament Speaker Aguila Saleh, who both represent the House of Representatives in eastern Libya’s Tobruk. Attendants of the meeting expressed their appreciation for the Egyptian role to reach a solution to the Libyan crisis, calling on Libya’s House of Representatives to make use of this opportunity to save the situation in the country. Over the past months, Cairo has held meetings with different Libyan political factions, where Egypt has stressed the need for a political consensus to end the crisis in the country.

Libya accuses Italy of shooting down Dignity Operation ’s mi-35 attack helicopter

13 Febbraio 2017 BreakingNews @en/Middle East - Africa di

Member of Tobruk-based House of Representatives Ibrahim Zagaid has accused Italy of shooting down Dignity Operation ’s mi-35 attack helicopter on Friday. Speaking to Jordan-based Libya Channel on Saturday, he claimed that an Italian frigate off Sirte coast had shot down the helicopter, killing all three pilots on board. “We confirm, beyond doubt, that an Italian frigate on the shores of Sirte was behind the downing of the helicopter,” he claimed, adding that he is responsible for what he say. Zagaid, a mouthpiece of KhalifaHaftar, also claimed that a Russian newspaper had reported that the helicopter was shot down by an Italian sea-fired missile. He called on all supporters of KhalifaHaftar’s self-styled army to go to the streets to denounce Italy and its attempts to occupy Libya.

Libyan PM is trying to deal with the desalination plant problems in Tobruk

17 Novembre 2016 BreakingNews @en di

In a bid to deal with the problems of the desalination plant in Tobruk once and for all, the Beida-based interim Prime Minister Abdullah Al-Thinni summoned all the top water resources officials in the east of the country to an emergency meeting today. Tobruk has been facing water shortages for years, in part because of a rise in consumption but also because of declining production at the desalination plant, the result of inadequate maintenance over more than 13 years. Cracked pipes and boilers have resulted in a drop in output. Distribution pipes in the town also need replacing. Faced with this, the local authorities have been looking at various alternatives over the past year and more – from digging new wells to the construction of a new plant with a capacity of 150,000 cubic metres of water a day.

Libya: waiting for UN approval

18 Dicembre 2015 Miscellaneous di

As announced following the International Conference in Rome, the Libyan factions, all of Tripoli and Tobruk, signed deal for unitt government in Skhirat (Morocco).The Presidential Council, composed of president Sarraj Fayez, three vicepresidents on behalf of Tripolitania, Cyrenaica and Fezzan and other five representatives, have to form new government within 40 days. Moreover, the UN Security Council will vote terms of military operation in the next days, to make safe Tripoli and train local forces. This international coalition will be led by Italy, while Great Britain will send 1000 troops.

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December 17 the 90 representatives of the Assembly of Tobruk and 27 of the GNC Tripoli signed the agreement. The new Presidential Council, in addition to choose new government, will have to convince the presidents of two parliaments to accept the deal. Among the problems which should be solved, there is also the military intervention because several factions prefer the training of Libyan army, rather than a foreign operation.

The most important perspective is about the presence of a unique executive to allow, after Syria, to open another front to fight the Islamic State in Libya, where Sirte became the Caliphate stronghold.

Some US troops are already present, as reported by many international media. As well as France and Great Britain, which reached Libya through southern borders.

And Italy? As leaked out by Italian Defence, the non-intervention in Syria, the contribution to the NATO mission in Iraq (450 soldiers will defende the strategic Mosul Dam), clearly show Italian line: optimize the best efforts, humanly and logistically, to the nearest, and therefore more crucial, Libya.
Giacomo Pratali

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