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BENGHAZI, Libya A car bomb killed a prominent tribal elder allied to eastern security forces and five other people outside a mosque in a town south of Benghazi as they were leaving afternoon prayers on Friday, a security official said.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility but rivals of the eastern-based Libyan National Army (LNA) have previously carried out similar attacks in Benghazi targeting figures associated with the LNA.

The blast in Suluq, 31 miles (50 km) south of Benghazi killed Ibrayk Al-Awati, an elder of the Al-Awaqir tribe, and 11 wounded 11 other people, the official said.

The LNA has been fighting a three-year campaign against Islamist militants and other opponents in Benghazi and other parts of eastern Libya.

Images shared on social media showed flames and plumes of black smoke rising from the shell of a car, with debris and blood on the ground nearby.

Libya has been split since 2014 between rival governments aligned with loose and shifting armed alliances based in the east and west of the country.

(Reporting by Ayman al-Warfalli Writing by Aidan Lewis; Editing by Louise Ireland)

DUBAI Iranians yearning for detente abroad and greater freedoms at home have handed President Hassan Rouhani a second term, but the hardline forces he defeated in elections on Friday will remain defiantly opposed to his plans.

HOMS, Syria/BEIRUT Syrian rebels started leaving the last opposition-held district of Homs city on Saturday in the final phase of an evacuation deal that will bring an early center of the uprising back under government control in the conflict's seventh year.

BEIRUT Islamic State militants killed nearly 20 people including two children in a village in Syria's eastern Deir al-Zor province, and captured fighters participating in a U.S.-backed operation against the jihadists, a monitoring group said on Saturday.

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Tribal elder, five others killed by car bomb south of Libya's Benghazi: of... - Reuters

Tunis, 17th May 2017 - UNFPA, United Nation Fund for Population, IOM, the UN Migration Agency, and IFRC, International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, have jointly organized a training on Gender Based Violence Multi-Sectoral Coordination in Libya during the period 14th to 18th of May 2017.

The overall objective of the training is to raise awareness of GBV in humanitarian settings in the region and specifically in Libya and to provide fundamental skills to formulate appropriate prevention, mitigation and response strategies and programme interventions, and strengthen coordination across all relevant sectors. The training is the outcome of the combined efforts of UNFPA, Ahfad University in Khartoum and the KAWTAR Center for Arab Women for Training and Research and a new partnership between IOM and UNFPA with regards to the protection of vulnerable women in Libya. The workshop is aiming to set a new structure to ensure the protection of the most at risk women and girls among displaced and conflict affected families including migrants.

Thirty participants from the Ministry of Social Affairs, Ministry of Health/ National Control Disease Center, Ministry of Interior and local CSOs/NGOs working on protection and GBV in Libya and Tunisia took part in the training. This synergy of efforts among the Libyan authorities and humanitarian actors is critical in order to provide seamless services to the most vulnerable efficiently.

I salute the Libyan women, who is facing challenges inside and outside the house and who, we should guarantee their protection by providing psychosocial support, health services and legal counselling. This is only possible by close coordination with partners and a multi-sectorial approach on the ground with the line ministries and civil society actors said Dr. Georges Makram GEORGI, UNFPA Libya Country Director.

Partnership is an essential part to ensure women protection, it allows for more coordinated and cohesive approaches on Sexual and Gender based-violence said Amelia MARZAL, IFRC Head of Country Cluster. This training is a great example of coordination, led by UNFPA with its partners, to work together to achieve common goals. And from the International Federation together with the Libyan Red Crescent we are very glad to join efforts in this initiative.

Maysa KHALIL, Programme Officer, IOM Libya, stated IOM is ensuring that the protection of women and men is mainstreamed in all our Programmes though our strategic partners in Libya such as the Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Social Affair and Ministry of Health. This workshop serves as a good opportunity to further enhance the coordination between UN agencies and partners inside Libya to better assist vulnerable populations.

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Gender Based Violence (GBV) Multi-sectoral Coordination in Libya - ReliefWeb

In past years, similar warning zones have almost always been relegated to the far reaches of the eastern Mediterranean, to the waters off Syria. Even legitimate Russia exercises in the area have used the body of water between Crete and the Syrian-Lebanon coastline. Also, Russia's only warm water port is located in Tartus, Syria, adjacent to this naval operating area.

With all this in mind, this latest warning notice is especially peculiar.

Eastern Libya has remained particularly mired in chaos in recent months, and just last week, Libyan National Army troops, under the command of the rogue General Khalifa Haftar, struck deeper into central Benghazi. Haftar's forces are at odds with the UN backed Libyan government in Tripoli, but he is a favorite of the Kremlin. The Russian Navy even hosted the strongman aboard their only carrier, the Admiral Kuznetsov, as it traversed the region earlier this year. We described Haftar as such in a recent feature on Russia's increasing involvement in Libya:

"Haftar himself has had a complicated political history. He served as a military officer in Gaddafis army before running afoul of the enigmatic leader and ending up in prison. In 1990, he moved to the United States after officials in Washington helped secure his release.

Though Haftar styles himself head of Libyas national armed forces, fighting terrorists on behalf of the countrys central government, he has disputed the GNAs authority and seems intent on becoming president. His spokespersons have declared taking over Tripoli is key to the groups supposed counter-terrorism mission, implying that government officials are in league with dangerous Islamist extremists."

It seems very possible that Russia could be moving to actively support the General's forces in the region, and specifically in the coastal power center of Benghazi now that he has established a steady foothold there. Once again, this could be done via cruise missile attacks on opposition forces bases or even via naval gunfire support. Russia would likely classify such an act as an anti-terror campaign in a similar way as it has done in Syria. Russia has deployed a number of special operations troops to eastern Egypt, whichare likely operating in Libya in support of Haftar. These troops could work as a targeting cell for such strikes.

Just today, Putin seemed ready to deepen Moscow's involvement in the conflict, after meeting with Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni. Meanwhile, General Haftar met with Egypt's Army Chief of Staff today, a totally unprecedented event and a signal that a Egyptian-Russian-FLA alliance could be in the works.

Another possibility, albeit a less likely one, is the Russians are demoing weaponry for Egypt, who have ordered a lot of hardware from Moscowsince the US turned away from Cairo under the Obama Administration.

If Russia does become "kinetically" involved in Libya, it would mark a major change in policy by the Kremlin and would act as another reminder of how Russia is willing to opportunistically fill any geopolitical void left by the US.

Although the US has periodically waded back into the Libyan civil war, the actions have largely centered around counter-terror operations, with targeted strikes on particular Islamic extremist groups or individuals operating in the country or even occupying portions of it. But Russia may be looking to accomplish an entirely different set of objectives. It Moscow could prop-up Hafter to where his forces can reliably secure the eastern part of Libya, it could offer Russia another warm water port in the Mediterranean and doing so could result in a persistent Russian military presence on NATO's southern flank.

Contact the author:Tyler@thedrive.com

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What Do The Russians Have Planned Off Libya's Coast Next Week? - The Drive

More than 80% of Libyan state revenues derive from oil. Photograph: Ismail Zetouni/Reuters

A German oil producer has been accused by the head of Libyas National Oil Corporation of withholding more than $900m (697m) from the Libyan state and colluding with unlawful efforts by Libyas UN-backed government to take over the sale of the countrys vastly profitable oil contracts.

The power struggle between the NOC and Wintershall which denied that it owed any money and said it had always met its obligations to the state has long-term implications for global oil prices and the Libyan economy, since more than 80% of Libyan state revenues derive from oil.

Despite Libyas political crisis, oil production has been gradually increasing of late, reaching 800,000 barrels per day. The NOC is seen as one of the few bipartisan Libyan institutions capable of keeping out of the political infighting that has dogged the country since Muammar Gaddafi fell in 2011. Libya was producing 1.6m barrels per day before the uprising, and the NOC has said output in 2017 could reach between 1.1m and 1.2m barrels per day if political obstacles are removed.

The NOC argued that the battle with Wintershall, and the support the company has enjoyed from the UN-backed government, was vital to its ability to keep control of decisions on oil contracts away from politicians, and ensure that the maximum amount of revenue reaches the state coffers.

Documents seen by the Libyan attorney generals office suggest that Wintershall knew before the NOC chief Mustafa Sanalla about a controversial move by the UN-backed government to take over control of decisions on the terms of oil contracts and investments from the NOC.

The legal status of the move, which occurred in March and is known as resolution 270, is now unclear after an appeal court in Benghazi ruled on Monday that the UN-backed government had over-reached itself.

Libyas UN-backed government, led by Fayez Serraj in Tripoli, is known as the presidency council.

Based in Kassel and part of the chemical BASF Group, Wintershall is the oldest established oil company in Libya, and is regarded as being better positioned than other foreign oil firms to increase oil production in Libya.

Sanalla claimed that Wintershall had tried to interfere with the Libyan internal politics and to take advantage of the fact that the state is so weak. He also alleged that staff nominally advising the presidency council had previously been employed by Wintershall for years, and that the council was making political decisions such as resolution 270 that were written by Wintershall and designed to help Wintershall.

In 1966 Wintershall was granted two concessions in the East Sirte basin, 1,000 km south of Tripoli. By 1996, the concessions were capable of producing 100,000 barrels per day.

Sanalla said a memorandum of understanding was signed in August 2010 extending these two concessions, on the condition the terms of the concessions were made more favourable to the government, bringing them into line with the type of contract agreed by other foreign oil operators in Libya. He said Wintershall had not honoured this agreement.

The total liabilities the NOC are likely to claim may amount to more than $900m.

Sanalla also claimed that the presidency council passed resolution 270 partly to allow Wintershall to evade its obligations under the 2010 agreements. The amendment was drafted with the help of Wintershall to benefit Wintershall, he said. An NOC source also named a senior adviser to the council that the source said had been close to Wintershall for more than a decade.

Wintershall insisted that its concession agreements with the state of Libya are still valid and in full force, adding that it was in contact with NOC about a number of issues. In a statement, it said: There is no [valid] claim over money allegedly owed by Wintershall. Wintershall has always met its obligations towards the Libyan state. More than that: we are engaged in the country for nearly 60 years and have since been maintaining a special and trustful bond with our Libyan partners even throughout difficult times.

The dispute over oil resources on which the fragile Libyan state depends to survive is part of a wider argument about whether the presidency council has failed to honour promises made last November to fund the oil business properly.

The NOC claimed on Tuesday that the council had committed itself to providing LYD 2bn (1.12bn) for investments and repairs but had only come up with LYD1.6bn.

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German oil firm accused of withholding $900m from Libya | World ... - The Guardian

If proof is needed that Barack Obamas lead from behind foreign policy was a dismal failure, look no further than Libya. And if President Trump wants a win against terror, he should look to the same place.

Since longtime dictator Muammar Qaddafi was overthrown and killed by a howling mob in 2011, Libya the oil-rich gateway to northern Africa has had no government. Or rather, it has three competing governments, each claiming to be the countrys rightful ruler. Oh, and did we mention 1,600 count them armed militias? Not a recipe for stability.

To make matters worse, the countrys infrastructure has crumbled. Electricity is available only for a few hours a day, even in the capital, Tripoli. Oil production, which made Libya one of the most prosperous nations in the region, is atbetween a third and a half of capacity. Civilians are kidnapped or worse by marauding gangs. Banks refuse to let customers withdraw more than $20 at a time. And more than $40 billion in international aid has simply gone missing.

How did things reach such a point of chaos? Many Libyans point to Obamas tepid response after Qaddafis overthrow. His idea was to provide logistical support and back the militia groups that he thought could be persuaded to create democracy.

Instead, the various militias, including some allied with Al Qaeda and ISIS, fought among themselves like Bloods and Crips, resulting in at least 55,000 deaths, many of them civilians.

The country, whose population is overwhelmingly Sunni Muslim, nonetheless is divided by geography. In the east, tribal leaders are still nursing a longtime grudge against the poor treatment they received from Qaddafi during his 42 years in power. The east is ruled by Kalifa Haftar, a former officer in Qaddafis military who promoted himself to general of the so-called Libyan National Army, which is effectively a big militia. Haftar, who lived for 20 years in exile in Virginia, has spurned U.S. support in favor of closer ties with Russia, though he remains open to contact with the Trump administration.

Libya also has an elected parliament, which fled Tripoli and took refuge in Tobruk, in the east. And a weak cabinet holds court in Tripoli, surrounded by armed jihadi militias.

In the west, and around Tripoli, various jihadi militias battle each other and Haftars troops, when they venture out of the east.

When Italys prime minister visited the White House last month, he urged Trump to take an interest in Libyas future. The presidents response: Libya is not a priority.

He might want to reconsider. Helping to stabilize Libya would be a foreign policy win for the U.S., and a signal to Russia that American leadership in world affairs is making a comeback. Trump needs to clean up the mess made by the last administration, says former Libyan prime minister Mahmoud Gebril, who survived four assassination attempts. The militia leaders are ready to put down their weapons in exchange for amnesty. This civil war has gone on too long. It would be a peace of exhaustion.

Libya needs U.S. leadership, Walid Phares, a Middle East scholar and author (and Fox News contributor) who advises Trump, told me. Congress wants to destroy the jihadists. That can be done, but the president needs to step up.

Libya is sure to come up when Trump visits Saudi Arabia this week. It is a chance for the president to do something substantive and positive. He cant tweet it. He has to treat it like the opportunity it is.

John Moody is Executive Vice President, Executive Editor for Fox News. A former Rome bureau chief for Time magazine, he is the author of four books including "Pope John Paul II : Biography."

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Libya: Trump's chance to do more than tweet - Fox News