Libya signs $2 million lobbying deal as Trump warms to rival strongman
The UN-recognized Government of National Accord has signed a massive deal with Mercury Public Affairs as Khalifa Hifter’s forces threaten Tripoli.
The UN-backed Libyan government has signed a $2 million deal with Mercury Public Affairs to lobby Congress and the Donald Trump administration just days after reports that the president backed rival Khalifa Hifter.
The Government of National Accord (GNA) signed the year-long contract on April 25, after reports that Trump had indicated support for Hifter’s march on Tripoli in a phone call with the eastern-based strongman. The contract calls for Mercury to be paid $500,000 per quarter in fees and expenses, with the first installment paid up front.
Neither Mercury nor the Libyan government answered requests for comment. But experts say the expensive contract is a sign the GNA is deeply concerned about a possible US shift away from the UN-backed peace process in favor of Hifter, a former CIA asset who leads the self-proclaimed Libyan National Army.
“This is a dramatic reversal of how the international landscape has changed around the GNA,” said Jalel Harchaoui, a research fellow at the Clingendael Institute in The Hague. “They are basically seeing the writing on the wall.”
