TOBRUK, Libya –The Naval Forces General Staff, aligned with Haftar, announced that the cruiser Varyag and the frigate Admiral Shaposhnikov, two Russian warships, had arrived at the Tobruk naval base in eastern Libya for a working visit.
A ceremony was held last Sunday to greet the Russian warships, and welcoming remarks were exchanged during a reception, as reported on the pro-Haftar General Staff’s Facebook page.
According to the same source, the visit aims to enhance collaboration and alignment between the two sides in the areas of training, maintenance, technical and logistical support.
Additionally, the parties seek to facilitate the exchange of expertise and information, as well as to promote cooperation in maritime security.
In the face of growing Russian influence, the United States and the European Union have tried during the past two years to win over Haftar. There were successive visits by European officials to Benghazi. On two recent occasions, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni also offered economic and security contracts and deals in exchange for Haftar’s pledge to cooperate in stopping the flow of migrants towards Europe.
Earlier this month, Martin Andrew, the British ambassador to Libya, met the Libyan army commander in Benghazi to push the view that all parties must participate in the UN political process.
Talks about Russian influence in Libya and Moscow’s desire to expand in Africa in general, are at the forefront of observers’ and analysts’ talk, especially with the mounting European concerns over the impact of such an expansion could have on their interests, while others have warned of the seriousness of the situation.
According to a Daily Express report, the Russian presence in Libya enabled Moscow to obtain five billion euros, in addition to more than 2.5 billion euros in smuggled gold. Russia also gained control over a diamond mine worth one billion euros in the Central African Republic, with net revenues annual of 300 million euros.
Fears are also growing over Russian expansion in Libya in the west of the country. The religious leadership in the Dar Al-Iftaa had previously stated that it was monitoring the arrival of Russian forces and weapons, in preparation for the deployment of an “Africa Corps” across Libya and other neighbouring countries. It said that what it called “jihad” against these forces “is a legal duty that falls upon the shoulders of the people of Libya,” adding in a statement, that the Russian military presence on Libyan territory constitutes a form of occupation and invasion.
Last week, local Libyan media published footage indicating the arrival of a fifth batch of Russian troops at the Hariga port in the city of Tobruk in the far east of Libya, along with, over 45 days, military equipment, including weapons, ammunition and military trucks to establish the Russian African Legion.
Energy-rich Libya is split between a United Nations-recognised government in the capital Tripoli in the west and the Haftar-backed rival administration that rules from Benghazi and Tobruk in the east.
Presidential elections that had aimed to unify the fractured country were scheduled for late 2021 but then postponed indefinitely.
Source: The Arab Weekly
