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Libyan militias that occupied two key oil terminals last week said Monday they intend to take the eastern city of Benghazi and unseat Field Marshal Khalifa Hifter, who controls the area.

Col. Mustafa Alsharksi, leader of the so-called Benghazi Defense Brigades, said more than 3,000 men are poised to continue eastward now that they have taken over the oil terminals of al-Sidra and Ras Lanuf.

The move threatens to escalate the conflict between Libya's two competing parliaments and governments, each backed by a set of militias, tribes and political factions, and potentially damage the contested oil installations.

"Our main goal is to return our city," Alsharksi said at a news conference in Misrata. "Our main goal is to reject and say no to oppression, say no to military rule (of Hifter),"

The militias are comprised of Islamic militants and former rebels recently defeated by Hifter's forces in Benghazi, Libya's second largest city. They were joined by militiamen from the western city of Misrata.

Alsharksi, who described Hifter as a "criminal," said his forces will continue to ensure oil revenues go to the U.N.-backed government in Tripoli.

The Hifter-allied army units say they have deployed more forces in preparation for a counterattack to drive out the militias, describing the militias' recent advances as "a war against a whole region" that "they will not win."

Hifter's army is allied to the internationally recognized parliament based in eastern Libya, while the internationally recognized government based in the capital, Tripoli, opposes Hifter. The latter has condemned the fighting and says it has no role in it, according to a statement released by the Presidency Council, the United Nations-brokered body that was given the task of forming the government and that has presidential powers.

Libya descended into chaos with its 2011 civil war, which ended with the killing of longtime dictator Moammar Gadhafi and led to the current split.

The oil terminals have changed hands several times in the past three years, and the latest seizure has hurt production that was finally increasing and had reached 700,000 barrels a day in February.

Alsharksi described his forces as "revolutionaries" who took part in the uprising against Gadhafi. He said they attacked the oil terminal areas because Hifter's side had been using airports there to launch airstrikes against their allies.

He said his troops are comprised of "civilians and military officers not affiliated to any political party or groups" who "fight terrorism in Libya."

In a joint statement, the ambassadors from Libya of France, the United Kingdom and the United States condemned the escalation of violence and called for an immediate cease-fire.

?"We recall the urgent need for a unified national military force under civilian command in order to preserve the security and prosperity of all Libyans," they said. "We reaffirm the need to keep oil infrastructure, production, and export under the exclusive control of the National Oil Corporation acting under the authority? of the Government of National Accord."

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Libya militias who seized oil terminals aim to take Benghazi ...

Libya's eastern parliament voted Tuesday to withdraw its support for a United Nations peace deal and Government of National Accord, an escalation in the fractured country's split that stokes concerns recent violence could intensify.

Abdullah Ablaihig, spokesman for the Tobruk-based, internationally recognized House of Representatives, said the body voted to annul its previous acceptance of a presidential council and the U.N.-backed government currently led by Prime Minister Fayez al-Serraj in Tripoli.

The decision comes as Libya's rival power centers are sliding closer to open conflict, with breakaway militias backed by western Libyan factions seizing oil terminals from the east's strongman general, whose forces have vowed to take them back.

The Tobruk body called on all Libyan parties to condemn militias that occupied the two key terminals in what it described as "terrorist attacks," saying it was suspending its participation in peace talks until they did so. The militias, which oppose the parliament, say they intend to take the eastern city of Benghazi and drive Field Marshal Khalifa Hifter from the area. Hifter's army is allied to the parliament, while the Tripoli government opposes him.

"The GNA unity government is not legitimate any more, as well as its presidential council and anything to do with this entity," Ablaihig said, urging the international community to lift an embargo on weapons sales to the Libyan army under Hifter.

His forces have deployed more troops in preparation of a counterattack to drive out the militias, known as the Benghazi Defense Brigades, which are comprised of Islamic militants and former rebels recently defeated by Hifter's forces in Benghazi, Libya' second largest city. They are also joined by militiamen from the western city of Misrata, and a day earlier announced their intentions from there.

Later in the day, the Tripoli government said that the oil terminals had been abandoned by the Benghazi Defense Brigades and that its forces were moving to occupy the facilities. It denied it had any relationship with the Brigades, saying they were involved in a separate fight with Benghazi that should be negotiated peacefully.

"We officially took control of the oil terminals," Brig. Gen. Mohamed Algosri told The Associated Press. "Now the forces will be formed and deploy to the oil terminals momentarily."

The Italian Embassy tweeted its support for the move, describing the deployment as "a step in the right direction" that should end the fighting.

Troops under the command of Hifter who were driven out of the oil facilities said they had redeployed to the east around the town of Brega and had been fighting skirmishes in recent days as they attempted to reconnoiter the opposing lines under air support.

An official at nearby Ajdabiya hospital said seven more of Hifter's troops were killed in fighting near Ras Lanuf on Tuesday, bringing that side's total losses to 39 killed over the past four days.

Libya descended into chaos with its 2011 civil war, which ended with the killing of longtime dictator Moammar Gadhafi and led to the current split.

Western ambassadors have condemned the escalation of violence and called for an immediate cease-fire. Egypt on Tuesday condemned the seizing of the oil installations more singularly, saying that "elements linked to al-Qaida" were involved in the attack, which it said posed "serious risks" for Libya.

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Libya's eastern parliament quits UN peace deal with Tripoli - ABC News

The Libya Observer

Russian vessel seized in Libyan waters The Libya Observer Libyan Coast Guard, Zawiya Squad, intercepted on Sunday a Russian vessel in the territorial waters off the country's western coast. The vessel, MERLE, was sailing to Zuwara Port to load scrap metal to Turkey, a booming illegal trade in Libya.

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Russian vessel seized in Libyan waters - The Libya Observer

This article was originally published by IPI Global Observatory on 2 March 2017.

Renewed efforts are now underway to overcome the gridlock in Libyas peace process. The United Nations special representative to Libya, Martin Kobler, and neighboring states are in separate talks with the countrys various factions in an attempt to keep the peace process alive and prevent an escalation of tensions. The latest actor to enter the fray is Russian President Vladimir Putin, who could play a major role in getting key players to remain at the negotiating table.

The UN-brokered Libyan Political Agreement, which aimed to unite rival factions, appeared to be on the verge of collapse late last year. Implementation of the agreement, which was signed in Shirkat, Morocco, in December 2015, had come to a virtual standstill. The Government of National Accord (GNA) established under the agreement and led by Fayez al-Serraj still lacks a legitimate mandate to govern.

The eastern Libyans who dominate the House of Representativesthe countrys sole legitimate parliament under the political agreementreject the GNA on the grounds that its Presidency Council lacks representation from their region. Eastern Libyans also want renegade general Khalifa Haftar as supreme commander of the army, though this decision rests with the Council.

In the meantime, Haftar has used the uncertainty surrounding the political agreement to make further military gains. He has captured several important oil terminals in the northeastern coastal region from forces loyal to the GNA. Gaining control of key infrastructure and allowing oil to be exported under the banner of the National Oil Company has significantly boosted Haftars influence and made his inclusion in the peace process indispensable.

This fact has not been lost on Putin, who has stepped up support for Haftar in recent months. While Russia officially supports the UN-backed GNA, it has often favored the Tobruk government and Haftar. Russian military advisers have reportedly been assisting Haftars forces. Haftar also made several trips to Moscow in the latter half of 2016 and, in January of this year, visited a Russian aircraft carrier as it returned to Russia from Syria. Reports soon emerged of an alleged agreement between Haftar and Putin to establish a Russian naval base off the coast of Benghazi. Putin has also flown injured fighters from Haftars forces to Russia for treatment.

Such close ties to Haftar could give Putin a potentially important role as negotiator in the Libyan crisis. At present, two sets of talks are being pursued. UN envoy Kobler reactivated the UN-led political process after the House of Representatives rejection of the GNA. After three months of discussions with rival factions, he announced in early February that a consensus was emerging on the need to amend the political agreement. This includes addressing the question of leadership of the army, in which Koblernow says Haftar must have a role, and the composition and role of the Presidency Council.

Neighboring states have also conducted talks with parties to the conflict. Reports recently emerged that Libyan factions had agreed to an Egyptian-brokered roadmap for a new political agreement, as well as new parliamentary and presidential elections in 2018. The plan encountered a setback, however, when Haftar pulled out of a meeting scheduled with Serraj in Cairo on February 14, perhaps in an effort to increase leverage. Egypt has since joined Algeria and Tunisia in launching a new round of negotiations.

Russias close ties to Haftar could prove critical in attracting the generalssupport for an amended political agreement, if hecan be convinced that it is his best chance of holding a future position of power. Serraj is expected to travel to Moscow in the days ahead to try to convince Putin to back the regionally brokered deal and act as an intermediary between himself and Haftar, attracting the generalback to the table.

Moscow, however, is unlikely to find the Egyptian deal as it stands satisfactory. Under the roadmap, Haftar would become a commander of the army, but the functions of its supreme commander would be divided between the president of the House of Representatives, the president of the State Council, which advises the GNA, and Serraj, effectively sidelining Haftar in the decision-making process. Moscow has indicated it would ideally like to see supreme command of the armed forces be the responsibility of the countrys leader. Putin is also known to prefer that strongmen in the mold of Haftar fill such roles.

Russian engagement could be critical to both sets of talks now taking place regarding Libya. The danger for the UN may be that Putin, recognizing this, attempts to bring the Libyan stakeholders together on his own, much as hedid with Syria. This would give Moscow much more influence over the terms of a political settlement. Despite its clear support for the Tobruk government and Haftar, Russia has already been reaching out to members of Libyas other factions, including State Council President Abdulrahman Swehli and Presidency Council member Ahmed Maiteq. Reports have also emerged of a Russian delegation visiting the city of Misrata at the time that Haftar toured the aircraft carrier, though it was not publicized at the time. This could have been aimed at establishing contact with powerful Misratan militia leaders, who are also key players in Libyas conflict.

Thus far, Russiasefforts in Libya have failed to bear as much fruit as thosein Syria. Alone, Moscow is unlikely to have enough leverage with all of Libyas domestic stakeholders to nudge them toward a deal. Putin would need to cooperate not just with several key regional players, but also with a number of Western countries that have been heavily engaged in Libya in support of Haftars rivals, not least of which is the United States. The Libyan crisis therefore places further importance on the evolution of the relationship between Putin and US President Donald Trump.

About the Author

Lisa Watanabe is Senior Researcher at the Center for Security Studies at ETH Zurich.

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Is Libya the New Stage for Putin's Attempted Peacemaking? - CSS Resources (blog)

Middle East Monitor

News Roundup - Wed, Mar 08, 2017 The Libya Observer Head of the High Council of State, Abdelrahman Al-Sweihli, met with the Turkish Ambassador to Libya, Ahmet Aydn Doan, in Tripoli and discussed the speeding up of the return of Turkish companies to Libya to work on the suspended projects. They also ... Libya's eastern parliament votes against involvement in dialogueMiddle East Monitor HoR members attack decision to leave DialogueLibya Herald all 5 news articles »

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News Roundup - Wed, Mar 08, 2017 - The Libya Observer