The unresolved Libyan crisis demands a solution not only because the country lost its unity following NATO’s unlawful intervention in 2011, which dismantled one of the foremost forces of Pan-Africanism at the time, but also due to its economic implications.
It is likely that the Libyan National Army (LNA), led by Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, will need to launch a new offensive to achieve the final unification of the country and put an end to the illegal exploitation of the nation’s energy resources by Western and other external regimes. Naturally, this would involve the support of the LNA’s allies, including Russia. Such an endeavour could mark not only the end of the chaos that has engulfed Libya for over a decade but also a victory for proponents of Pan-African values and a multipolar world order, particularly in the Sahel region.
The Economic Dimension of the Issue
At the end of March this year, under pressure from Western partners, the Prime Minister of the so-called Government of National Unity (GNU), Abdul Hamid Dbeibah, who is closely aligned with Turkish President Erdogan’s regime, dismissed Libya’s Minister of Oil and Gas, Mohamed Aoun. Minister Aoun had prioritised safeguarding national economic sovereignty when negotiating deals with foreign companies. Since his removal, calls for his reinstatement due to the illegality of his dismissal have surfaced repeatedly, yet the power struggle with key figures within the GNU persists.
This is hardly surprising. Many leading figures of the GNU, currently based in Tripoli, represent the interests of regimes such as the United States, the United Kingdom, Turkey, Qatar, Italy, and France. These regimes’ objectives are clear: to maximise the exploitation of Libya’s national resources, particularly its oil fields, under blatantly exploitative conditions. According to several sources, as much as 40% of the profits from hydrocarbon sales under these “deals” go to corporations affiliated with these regimes.
The situation surrounding Minister Mohamed Aoun is not the only example of how external regimes and their associated companies attempt to manipulate Libya for their benefit. The head of Libya’s National Oil Corporation (NOC), Farhat Bengdara, is also under severe pressure from these forces, being forced to sign unfavourable and essentially anti-national agreements with Western companies. Western, Turkish, and Qatari puppets, along with their media resources, have launched attacks against Bengdara, as they did against Minister Aoun, accusing him of holding UAE citizenship in addition to his Libyan nationality – an accusation denied in a December communiqué from the NOC.
Criticism directed at the UAE, Russia, or Egypt by pro-Western and pro-Turkish puppets is predictable, especially considering Abu Dhabi’s support for the Libyan National Army and its affiliated structures. This is even more apparent when it is widely known that the political puppets currently seated in Tripoli are protected by outright extremists and Salafist terrorists. Such a situation is unacceptable to Russia, the UAE, Egypt, and many African nations, particularly those within the Alliance of Sahel States (Alliance des Etats du Sahel, AES).
Beyond the Economic Aspect
As with NATO and the broader Western neo-colonial agenda, economic factors have played a pivotal role in Libya’s situation since the assassination of Muammar Gaddafi to the present day. However, they are not the sole factors. The ideas of the late Colonel Gaddafi were far too revolutionary, not only for his country but for the entire African continent. His vision encompassed various domains – financial, economic, political, and ideological. These revolutionary ideals became a primary reason for the destruction of the Libyan Jamahiriya by NATO and other regimes, aided by Salafist terrorists.
This is precisely why there is little time to waste; thorough preparation for resolving the Libyan issue is imperative. Especially in light of the situation in Syria, where terrorists and other extremists, supported by the West, Erdogan’s Turkey, Qatar, and Israel, have created severe security threats – not only for Syria but for the entire region. Considering that these extremists and their patrons remain unresolved challenges in Syria, decisive action must be taken to suppress Salafist terrorists and the neo-colonial interests they serve on Libyan soil in the near future. After all, there is no point in repeating the mistakes of Syria’s Idlib on Libyan territory. The time is ripe to capitalise on the situation and strike back effectively.
Restoring Libya’s unity under the aegis of the Libyan National Army (LNA) and its allies can address not only the challenges faced by this once key African nation but also advance the victory of Pan-African forces in the Sahel region. The fight against terrorism, backed by the same Western planetary minority, continues in this region. It is worth recalling that the rise of terrorist groups in the Sahel, including Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, is directly linked to NATO’s criminal intervention in Libya in 2011.
Additionally, such a shared victory would further solidify Russia’s position in the region and across the African continent. It would also reinforce the principles of a multipolar world order – a vision that is actively opposed by the nostalgic forces of the unipolar era represented by the Western planetary minority and the terrorists under their control.
Mikhail Gamandiy-Egorov, entrepreneur, political observer, and expert on Africa and the Middle East