Weekly Highlights
- Haftar’s forces intercept Turkish ship in Libya waters
- Libya’s NOC, Eni discuss restart of stalled projects
- Haftar’s forces violate Libyan ceasefire, attack Sabha military zone HQ
- Italy, Libya sign defense deal over military training, hospitals
- Ex-Sarkozy loyalist charged in Libya campaign funding probe
- 170 migrants detained while making their way to Sabratha
- Currency Exchange:
- Bank exchange rate: USD 1 – LYD 1.3483
- Black market exchange rate: USD 1 – LYD 6.37
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Haftar’s forces intercept Turkish ship in Libya waters
Forces loyal to eastern Libyan commander Khalifa Haftar have intercepted a Turkish ship off the North African country’s coast and towed it to the port of Ras al-Hilal, east of Benghazi, the general’s self-styled Libyan National Army (LNA) said on Monday. LNA general Ahmed al-Mismari said the vessel was sailing under a Jamaican flag and heading to the western city of Misrata – hundreds of miles from where it was captured. MIDDLE EAST EYE
Libya’s NOC, Eni discuss restart of stalled projects
The Chairman of Libya’s National Oil Corporation (NOC), Mustafa Sanalla recently met with Claudio Descalzi, CEO of Italian oil major Eni, to discuss the resumption of projects which are suspended due to financial constraints. They also discussed maintaining the rates of production in onshore and offshore fields and work on increasing it gradually as well as supporting the energy sector in Libya. Sanalla said “We as the Board of Directors at the National Oil Corporation are proud of our strategic relations with Eni and we look forward to continuing this fruitful economic partnership”. TRADE ARABIA
Haftar’s forces violate Libyan ceasefire, attack Sabha military zone HQ
Forces loyal to Khalifa Haftar supported by Sudanese mercenaries and an air cover have violated the Libyan ceasefire agreement signed in Geneva over two months ago by attacking Tindi Camp, which is the headquarters of Sabha military zone of the Government of National Accord, the second party of the ceasefire agreement, a source from Ubari said. The source said Haftar’s forces had violated the ceasefire again in Ubari as they attempted to seize control of Sabha military zone headquarters headed by Ali Kanna, however they failed as they were confronted by the zone forces obliging them to retreat to mountain areas surrounding the headquarters. LIBYA OBSERVER
Italy, Libya sign defense deal over military training, hospitals
Italy and Libya signed an agreement on Friday to collaborate in the defense areas of training, health care and demining activities. Italian Defense Minister Lorenzo Guerini met his Libyan counterpart Salahuddin Al-Namroush in Rome, where they signed the “Joint Technical Military Cooperation Agreement,” which renews a deal signed in 2013. It calls for identifying new ways to collaborate in medical health care, starting with the training of Libyan medical staff by members of Italy’s field hospital in the north-western Libyan city of Misrata. DAILY SABAH
Ex-Sarkozy loyalist charged in Libya campaign funding probe
Former French interior minister Claude Gueant was charged with being part of a criminal conspiracy over allegations that ex-president Nicolas Sarkozy’s 2007 election campaign was funded by Libyan dictator Moamer Gaddafi. Gueant was Sarkozy’s right-hand man while the right-winger was interior minister from 2005 to 2007 and then president from 2007 to 2012. Gueant held the interior portfolio in 2011-12. Sarkozy himself is currently on trial for corruption in a separate affair. THE NEW ARAB
170 migrants detained while making their way to Sabratha
A security source informed The Libya Observer that the Saharan Patrol Department has arrested 170 migrants, who were making their way to the shores of the city of Sabratha. The source, who wished to remain anonymous, further explained that the migrants were of varying nationalities and were arrested in a sweeping security operation, which began tracking the migrants from the starting point of their journey in the south. LIBYA OBSERVER
USEFUL INFORMATION
List of holidays in Libya 2020
Exchange rates – Libyan Dinar
According to our most recent information (06th December 2020) the Libyan Dinar has the following exchange rates.
The exchange rate from your own bank or credit card company will differ somewhat from the exchange rates as mentioned above. Your bank or credit card company might also apply additional international charges.
LIBYA SECURITY & RISK LEVELS
Crime levels in Libya remain high, including the threat of kidnapping for ransom. Westerners and U.S. citizens have been targets of these crimes.
Terrorist groups continue plotting attacks in Libya. Violent extremist activity in Libya remains high, and extremist groups have made threats against citizens. Terrorists may attack with little or no warning, targeting tourist locations, hotels, transportation hubs, markets/shopping malls, and government facilities.
Outbreaks of violence between competing armed groups can occur with little warning and have the potential to impact citizens. The capital, Tripoli, and other cities, such as Surman, Al-Jufra, Misrata, Ajdabiya, Benghazi, Sabha, and Dernah, have witnessed fighting among armed groups, as well as terrorist attacks. Hotels and airports frequented by Westerners have been the targets of these attacks. Even demonstrations intended to be peaceful can turn confrontational and escalate into violence.
For the latest advice from the Libyan government, please visit the National Centre of Disease Control (NCDC) webpage at ncdc.org.ly/Ar/
If you decide to travel to Libya:
- Carry proof of citizenship and valid immigration status at all times.
- Avoid demonstrations and crowds.
- Make contingency plans to leave.
- Establish your own personal security plan in coordination with your employer or host organisation or consider consulting with a professional security organization.
- Develop a communication plan with family and/or your employer or host organization.
LIBYA INCIDENT MAPPING: 01 – 08 DECEMBER 20
LIBYA – SIGNIFICANT INCIDENTS IN DETAIL
Libya-bound Turkish cargo vessel intercepted by Haftar forces
Gen. Khalifa Haftar’s forces claimed late Monday to have intercepted a Turkish ship flying a Jamaican flag heading to the port of Misrata in western Libya. Turkey is the main foreign backer of the internationally recognized Government of National Accord (GNA) in the west, which has for years been fighting the Haftar-led eastern-based Libyan National Army (LNA).
LNA spokesperson Ahmed al-Mismari said that the commercial cargo ship, Mabrouka, had a crew of 17, including nine Turkish nationals and was carrying containers that had not yet been inspected. LNA forces stopped the ship near the eastern port of Derna, he said. The militia claims the ship entered a prohibited area and did not respond to calls before it withdrew to the port of Ras al-Hilal. The spokesperson also told the Al-Hadath television channel that the ship was carrying drugs destined for Misrata but had entered the restricted area.
Claiming they made a call to the ship but did not receive a response, Mismari said: “We approached the ship with boats and boarded it.” The captain did not follow the procedures, and the ship entered the prohibited area without permission, he said, adding there were no weapons on board. According to information obtained by Anadolu Agency (AA), the crew is in good condition. Sources said the procedure has been applied to other ships in the region, but no ships have been seized and that a penalty was foreseen for entering the restricted area.
The killer mines of Libya: How they work, what they do
Fourteen months of fighting in Tripoli has turned the Libyan capital’s neighbourhoods into death traps. Tonnes of ordnance remain from clashes between the Libyan National Army (LNA) and the UN-recognised Government of National Accord (GNA), which controls the city.
Most dangerous, however, are the mines laid by LNA forces and now being extricated by GNA military engineers. More than 70 civilians, including children, have been killed by blasts, with at least 125 people wounded. Injuries include loss of limbs. Much of the weaponry and ammunition left over from the clashes between the LNA and GNA dates from the rule of Muammar Gaddafi, Libya’s leader until 2011. But Hiznay said the mines laid in Tripoli’s streets and houses were not seen in Libya until Haftar’s offensive on the capital. They were provided, he suggests, by the Wagner Group, a Kremlin-linked military contractor hired by Haftar.
“This is not Gaddafi stuff, this is Wagner stuff from Russia,” he tells MEE (Middle Eastern Eye). “I can’t say Wagner had these on the aeroplane when they flew in. But they got their weapons from somewhere, and this wasn’t the LNA.”
REGIONAL REPORTED INCIDENT NUMBERS: 01 – 08 DECEMBER 20
POLITICAL OVERVIEW
Governor of the Central Bank of Libya (CBL), Sadiq Al-Kabir, has discussed with the UK ambassador to Libya, Nicholas Hopton a number of issues for supporting and strengthening bilateral relations. This came during a meeting held on Monday, at Al-Kabir office in Tripoli, in the presence of the political and economic advisors of the British Embassy. The meeting also touched on ways to activate the role of the private sector and the return of British companies to resume their work in Libya, in addition to the importance of the role of the CBL at this stage. LIBYA OBSERVER
Italy and Libya signed an agreement on Friday to collaborate in the defense areas of training, health care and demining activities. Italian Defense Minister Lorenzo Guerini met his Libyan counterpart Salahuddin Al-Namroush in Rome, where they signed the “Joint Technical Military Cooperation Agreement,” which renews a deal signed in 2013. It calls for identifying new ways to collaborate in medical health care, starting with the training of Libyan medical staff by members of Italy’s field hospital in the north-western Libyan city of Misrata. DAILY SABAH
The Ministry of Finance of Libya’s internationally recognized government and U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) signed a letter of cooperation today that outlines ongoing U.S. support as Libyan authorities work to promote fiscal transparency and improve public financial management in Libya. The signing took place during a meeting between Libya’s Finance Minister Faraj Bumtari and U.S Ambassador to Libya Richard Norland. Norland noted that the robust partnership between USAID and the Ministry of Finance “reflects the U.S. commitment to helping Libyan authorities earn the trust and confidence of the Libyan public that state resources are managed transparently and in the public interest.” LIBYA HERALD
On the surface, Libya’s ceasefire is holding, and rival parties are at the negotiating table. But success still hangs in the balance because of deep divisions over a transitional executive. “Time is not on your side,” interim United Nations representative Stephanie Williams told a virtual meeting of political dialogue on Wednesday. The forum is part of a push to end almost a decade of violence in the North African country. The 75 participants have agreed to hold elections on December 24, 2021, but not on who will lead the political transition towards the polls. DAILY MAIL
An interior minister who served in Nicolas Sarkozy’s government has been placed under investigation for “criminal association” by French judges as part of an investigation into Libyan funding of the 2007 presidential election. France’s national prosecutor’s office confirmed on Thursday that former interior minister Claude Gueant is now under formal investigation on charges of criminal association. The charges brought against him are part of an ongoing investigation into possible Libyan financing of former President Nicolas Sarkozy’s presidential campaign in 2007. RT
AIRPORTS & BORDERS STATUS
The total number of Covid-19 cases in Libya rose to 87,097 including 57,380 recoveries and 1,243 fatalities as of Monday. The National Center for Disease Control recorded 517 new cases and 12 new deaths in the past 24 hours.