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Russias interests in the Middle East are not confined to specific countries. Moscow seeks to build a strong network of connections with many players in the region, and to have a strong say in regional affairs. Russia has been strengthening its presence in the Middle East to fortify its position as a pivotal international player. Among these countries is Libya, and the involvement of Russia in North Africa has increased since 2015 in reaction to the Syrian and Ukrainian issues. After the so-called Arab Spring, Russias interests in the region, already severely damaged by the collapse of the Soviet Union and the years of oblivion that followed, were further harmed with the fall of Qaddafi. Russia has historically warm ties with Libya, and cooperation has never ceased, even in the most difficult times for Moscow. The collapse of the Qaddafi regime took place without the involvement of Russia, which abstained on the issue in the UN Security Council. This had a strong impact on Russias stance on Syria, and on further developments in its general approach and policy in the region. The fall of Qaddafi brought years of severe disruption to Libya, and the spread of terrorism, harming and menacing the stability not only of regional neighbors, but also of the European continent. Russia was involved in attempts to restabilize Libya from the beginning, although most of its activities in this area were under the radar of international media because Syria was the focus of the headlines. Now that the Syrian conflict is winding down, global attention will be shifted to Libya. And it seems that Russia already has a strong hand there. The Libyan military commander Khalifa Haftar met the Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov and defense minister Sergei Shoigu in Moscow last week. Russia supports both Haftar and the prime minister of Libya, Fayez Al-Sarraj, whose government is recognized by the UN but who has a fraught relationship with the military leader. The visit to Moscow was aimed at reaching a peace agreement in Libya to end a conflict that has become a source of high risk to many countries in northern Africa and southern Europe. The war has brought waves of migrants from African countries to Europe through Italy.

Undeterred by western disapproval of its activities in Syria and Ukraine, Moscow is moving to protect its interests in North Africa.

Maria Dubovikova

Link:
Under the radar, Russia's influence in Libya is growing - Arab News

The United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF) says more than 500,000 children in Libya are in need of some kind of humanitarian assistance.

The UN agency notes that migrant children passing through Libya are especially at risk of abuse.

Competing governments have sought to control the North African country since the fall of Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi in October of 2011. There is no sign the fighting, displacement of people and economic problems will end anytime soon.

Libya is a stopping point for African migrants on their way to Europe. Many go there in hopes of finding a boat to take them across the Mediterranean Sea.

But UN officials say the crisis in Libya has affected a large number of children. Geert Cappelaere is UNICEFs regional director for the Middle East and North Africa.

In Libya, we estimate today a third of the population is under the age of 18, he said. Two million children do live in Libya of which a quarter 500,000 are estimated by UNICEF to be facing dire humanitarian need.

Cappelelaere says conditions in Libya have affected children in many ways.

The access to schools has been hampered. But (this) also, definitely, has affected the quality of the education children are having, he says. We have important numbers of children usually in conflict situations that have been suffering of a type of social consequences of the conflict. Children that have been separated from their families.

UNICEF says 315,000 children in Libya need help getting an education. In addition, the group says 200,000 need access to safe drinking water.

Adding to the difficulties are tens of thousands of migrants from countries south of the Sahara desert. They are fleeing conflict, drought and poor economic conditions. Many have crossed the desert with the goal of reaching Europe.

However, crossing the Mediterranean usually involves working with smugglers, who often put too many people into small, weak boats.

The International Organization for Migration reports that about 117,000 migrants have arrived in Europe this year. However, the group also notes that more than 2,400 have died trying to get there.

Cappelaere says migrant children face many dangers.

We see an important number of these children arriving in Libya separated from their families, says Cappelaere. Being unaccompanied. We know that several hundred of these children have ended up and are ending in detention facilities.

The aid group Oxfam is made up of many charitable organizations. On August 9, Oxfam released a report about the problems facing migrants leaving Libya. The report presents migrant stories of killings, rape, torture and detention in Libya.

In one example, a Senegalese teenager was reported to have said he was kept in a room that was full of dead bodies.

Cappelaere says the children of migrants often face abuse.

Children are, of course, very much exposed to violence and exploitation by those who are trying to make big money out of the migration crisis. So, children who are affected by migration are indeed particularly vulnerable, he said.

However, the UNICEF official says there have been some successes in Libya. About 1.4 million children have been vaccinated against polio by UNICEF and its partners, including some Libyan national groups.

Cappelaere praises the health workers in Libya, especially those who continue working after their medical centers have been attacked.

UNICEF plans to have all its international staff working full-time in Libya by October. The crisis had forced many workers to leave or operate out of Tunisia.

Cappelaere says the increase in workers would permit UNICEF to assist 1.5 million children. But, he notes, the agency needs additional money to carry on its work. He says UNICEF has asked for $15 million for Libya this year, but remains about six million dollars away from that goal.

Im Mario Ritter.

Joe De Capua reported this story for VOA News. Mario Ritter adapted his report for Learning English. George Grow was the editor.

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migrant n. people who move from place to place, usually for economic reasons

dire adj. causing fear or worry

hamper v. to interfere with, to slow down

access n. permission or ability to enter or use something

consequences n. results of some action

smuggler n. someone who takes things or people from one country to another secretly or illegally

unaccompanied adj. not with anyone else, alone

facilities n. building or equipment used for a specific purpose

vulnerable -adj. easily hurt emotionally or physically

staff n. the workers responsible for the operations of an agency or business

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UN Officials: Libyan Unrest Harming Children - VOA Learning English

The Libyan Audit Bureau said Libya had spent $30 billion in the last five years on fuel subsidies (80% imported fuel and 20% local fuel.)

In a televised report, the Audit Bureau said Libya has the cheapest cost of gasoline in the world, adding that it is being smuggled to neighboring countries.

"If the cost of subsidies was given to Libyan families, each family would get $3000 in 2016 and would get $7000 in 2014." It added.

Most Libyan families did not get such a subsidy, the Audit Bureau continued, saying that the Central Bank of Libya's measures of austerity dropped the cost of the subsidies from $9 billion in 2014 to $4 billion in 2016.

"The revenue for the government from selling fuel did not exceed 670 million Libyan dinars, which makes up 13% of the cost of subsidies." The report added.

It also said that 30% of the subsidies is being smuggled to neighboring countries, stressing that the subsidies must be given to Libyans through electronic cards instead of the current policy.

"Power stations' projects must be resumed and gas must be used instead of fuel, which will help preserve Libya's natural resources." The report indicated.

The Audit Bureau said that Libya could save up to LYD800 million a year from the cost of subsidies and by limiting smuggling, but only after placing a limitation system on the use of the subsidized fuel.

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Audit Bureau: Libya spent $30 billion on fuel subsidies in five years - The Libya Observer

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The manager of Sabha Civil Airport, Mohammed Oheida, has been quoted as saying "The airport is ready to receive any aircraft after the installation of all necessary technical and security equipment."Oheida added that a technical and security report was sent on Thursday to the Aviation Authority in Tripoli, stating that the airport is ready to resume work. The Hajjis from southern region need to take a domestic flight to Tripoli which needs an approval from the Civil Aviation Authority and the Ministry for transport. Pilgrims are set to leave for Jeddah on Monday from Matiga International Airport but the flight from Sabha to Matiga has not yet been fully coordinated.

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The Municipal Council of Ubari has stated that a German expert who works for Siemens AG arrived at Ubari Airport on Friday. The Council said in a brief statement posted on its Facebook page that the arrival of the German expert comes in preparation for the arrival of remaining engineers and operating technicians of the Ubari gas operated electricity station next week. The General Electricity Company of Libya said in a statement on Thursday that a German expert will arrive in Ubari to conduct operational tests on the first turbines of located at the new station.

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The head of the Italian Red Cross, Francesco Rocca, has called on the United Nations to stop the Libyan Navy from preventing non-governmental organizations from rescuing migrants off the coast of Libya. During his meeting with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres in New York, Rocca criticized the ban on NGOs helping migrants in search areas and the rescue set up by the Libyan authorities. Rocca added that the European Union's reaction on this issue is slow, describing it as defeat. Rocca concluded by saying "We are talking about the dignity and lives of tens of thousands of people and the Geneva Convention on Refugees".

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The Deputy Minister of Defense of the UN proposed government, Oheida Najem, denounced the UN and international bodies' lack of support of the Libyan army. Najem stated on the Ministry of Defenses official Facebook page that numerous meetings have taken place with international bodies, but there has not been any progress in supporting the military establishment in Libya.

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Sources close to what is known as the Operations Room of Omar Mukhtar, an armed militia working for Khalifa Hefter's Dignity Operation, which is laying the city of Derna under siege have said that they have agreed to open the Matrouba road, east of Derna. The opening of the road is to allow cooking gas, food and medicines to enter the city, it has also been decided that any critical health cases, students studying outside the city of Derna and pilgrims from the city Derna will be allowed to exit via the Matrouba road, but only during daylight hours.

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The Illegal Immigration Agency in Tripoli announced that 135 illegal immigrants of Nigerian origin, including women and children, have been deported to their country via Matiga International Airport after the Libyan Navy captured them while trying to cross the Mediterranean sea to Europe. The deportation was part of the voluntary repatriation program sponsored by the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

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The ICRC has provided medical supplies, health supplies and medicines to a number of health centers and hospitals in several Libyan cities and regions. Supplies included surgical materials, diabetes medicines, and medicines for other diseases. The shipments were distributed at Ajailat Clinic, Misrata Diabetes Center, Benghazi Medical Center and Sabha Medical Center. These shipments came as an emergency medical response for people suffering from chronic diseases such as diabetes after the deterioration and disruption of health care services and a lack of medical supplies and essential medicines, as a result of armed clashes and security conditions.

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The Media Office of the Libyan Ministry of Transport announced on Friday that the tanker named Libya, which is owned by the Libyan state and operated by the company Be Ship, was subject to a piracy operation in Bab-el-Mandeb Strait which is considered one of the most dangerous areas. The Media Office confirmed that security personnel on board the oil tanker were able to control the situation and return the tanker to its previous planned journey safely.

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A member of the High Council of State, AbulQasim Qazit, stated that the Governor of the Central Bank of Libya, Sadiq Kabir, is running the largest corruption scandal in Libyan history. Qazit said in a television statement that Kabir is the main obstacle to any political solution by literally starving Libyans, and all for the benefit of what he called corrupt businessmen. Qazit added that the responsibility to fix this matter falls on the Parliament in the east and the Council of State, and stressed the necessity of the international community to intervene and not stand by and watch as a policy of starvation of the Libyan people is pursued by Kabir and his cohorts saying " Kabir should not escape investigation, accountability or even punishment if necessary".

The rest is here:
News Roundup - Sat, Aug 19, 2017 - The Libya Observer

But that flow stalled suddenly and unexpectedly several weeks ago. At the height of summer, when the weather is generally better, Libyan smugglers typically send waves of migrants to sea every week or so. But since 15 July, there have been no such spikes and migration experts say they do not properly understand why.

Im still trying to explain it, said Mark Micallef, senior research fellow at the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime, a research organization that documents human trafficking in Libya. If you look at arrival statistics historically, they should be hitting a peak now in July and August, he said. But instead were seeing a dramatic drop.

The dip follows prolonged attempts by Italy to improve the capability of the Libyan Coast Guard and to discourage several nongovernmental organizations from operating migrant rescue boats off the Libyan coast.

Over the past year, Italy and its allies in the European Union have trained over a hundred Libyan Coast Guard officials and supplied them with more boats and resources.

In recent days, the coast guards leadership threatened to attack boats operated by charities like Doctors Without Borders, prompting several of those groups to suspend rescue operations. Italy has also sent naval ships to assist the coast guard in Libyan waters and has made it harder for boats from nongovernmental organizations to operate freely in Italian waters.

There is some speculation that the drop in departures is a result of those measures, but specialists say the truth is more complicated. For instance, the lull began before the rescue boats were forced to suspend operations and before the arrival of the Italian naval ships.

The rate of interceptions of migrant boats by the Libyan Coast Guard has actually fallen since May undermining suggestions that increased activity at sea by the service has caused the slowdown in departures.

A lot has been said about the coast guards, Mr. Micallef said. But, he continued, from where Im standing, something is happening onshore rather than offshore.

Several analysts suggested that the main smuggling networks in Libyan coastal towns such as Sabratha, the main springboard for migrants heading to Italy, may have been persuaded or coerced into suspending their operations.

Mohamed al-Muntasser, a Libyan political analyst, said a new armed group in Sabratha calling itself National Guard, Sabratha Branch, and with links to Libyas internationally recognized government had played a central role in persuading smugglers to stand down.

Some of our forces and our officials have decided that they will tighten the screw a bit either by doing their job or by telling their friends and relatives in the criminal fraternity that they should stop, at least for a little while, Mr. Muntasser said.

One Sabratha-based smuggler, who goes by the name Mourad Zuwara, confirmed in a phone call that local forces had recently forced him to abandon operations in the town, but he did not elaborate.

Other partial explanations include a drop in migrant arrivals to Libya from Niger and a marginal increase in departures from Morocco, which some migrants use as part of an alternative route to Europe.

Whatever the cause, the drop in Libyan departures will probably hearten officials in Rome, who have been trying to find solutions to the migration crisis. But the change alarms rights activists, who fear for the welfare of the thousands of migrants now stuck in Libya, where they are often kept in conditions akin to slavery.

Analysts also cautioned that the lull was unlikely to be permanent, because Libyas many competing militias and smugglers make so much money from the crossings that they will be unwilling to abandon the trade for long.

My biggest question, said Mattia Toaldo, a Libya researcher at the European Council on Foreign Relations, is for how long is this going to last?

Follow Patrick Kingsley on Twitter @patrickkingsley.

Elisabetta Povoledo and Jason Horowitz contributed reporting from Rome, and Karam Shoumali from Istanbul.

A version of this article appears in print on August 19, 2017, on Page A4 of the New York edition with the headline: Migrant Flow to Italy Slows, But No One Can Say Why.

The rest is here:
Flow of Migrants to Italy Slows, but Nobody Knows Why - New York Times