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On Tuesday, Russia sent a military delegation to Libya led by Deputy Defence Minister Yunus-Bek Yevkurov in response to an invitation extended by Marshal Khalifa Haftar, the leader of the eastern militias that are in opposition to the Tripoli-based government.
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This marks the initial official visit of a Russian military delegation to Libya, arranged through Russian-Libyan negotiations within the framework of the 11th Moscow International Security Conference, which was held in the middle of the month.
“Discussions are planned to address prospects of cooperation in countering international terrorism and other matters pertaining to joint actions,” the Russian Defense Ministry stated.
Following the assassination of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, Libya plunged into a brutal civil war that divided the nation in two. Currently, there are two governments.
On one hand, Libya has the Government of National Unity (GNU), headquartered in Tripoli and led by Prime Minister Abdul Hamid al-Dbeibeh. On the other hand, there is the government based in the city of Sirte, led by Prime Minister Fathi Bashaga and supported by Russia.
In late July, Mohamed al-Menfi, the head of the Presidential Council, sought Russia’s assistance in expelling foreign fighters.
The Joint Military Committee 5+5, comprising conflicting powers in Libya, reached an agreement this year to expel foreign fighters from the country.
This task would be executed through the 2021 action plan, linked to the 2020 Libyan ceasefire agreement and endorsed by the United Nations in coordination with neighboring countries.
In March, this institution committed to establishing a joint force and consolidating the military institution to facilitate the holding of elections, postponed in December 2021.
After over 12 years of transition, repeatedly stalled by political divisions and armed conflicts, Libya has yet to conduct presidential elections, and the most recent parliamentary elections were convened in 2014.
