On Nov. 7, the chief commander of the so-called Libyan National Army (LNA), Khalifa Hifter, who also represents the government in Tobruk, visited Moscow for a meeting with Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu. The two discussed the present situation in Libya, the fight against terrorism and broader security in the Middle East and North Africa. Hifter also met with Valery Gerasimov, head of the general staff of the Russian army. This may indicate Moscow and Tobruk have either concluded certain agreements in the field of military cooperation or are discussing them.
On an even more intriguing note, Evgeniy Progozhin — dubbed “Putin’s cook,” and notorious for his alleged ownership of the Wagner private military contractor — was also present at the negotiations. Moscow later explained his presence by saying he was responsible for “the catering of the meeting” but this nonetheless led to speculation over a possible deployment of Russian mercenaries in Libya.
Hifter has visited Russia on a number of occasions. However, this particular trip became a sensation due to its timing — it took place in the run-up to the international conference on the Libyan conflict to be held Nov. 12-13 in Palermo, Italy. This summit will be the next significant step in the resolution process after the agreements concluded in December 2015 in Skhirat, Morocco, and in May 2018 in Paris. While Putin said Russia would send its “highest-level representatives” to the Palermo conference, his press secretary later said Putin himself would not attend.
Hifter had planned the visit as an opportunity to persuade Moscow to voice a more supportive position during the summit in Palermo. Another objective is to demonstrate that the LNA is Russia’s main ally in Libya — the commander’s old trick used to disrupt the relations between Moscow and the Government of National Accord in Tripoli led by Fayez al-Sarraj, which have recently seen major positive developments and regular contacts with a constructive agenda. However, Tripoli is quite sensitive to Hifter’s meetings with the Russian side, presuming they are likely to reach agreements behind the government’s back. Hence, now, just before a significant event, Hifter’s trip may urge Tripoli to revise a number of negotiating positions that were supposed to meet Russia’s support, considering the critical lack of time left.
AL-MONITOR All-Access gives you unlimited access to all our journalism, the full Daily Briefing, exclusive interviews, premium newsletters, and live events — for less than $2/week.
