A report by United Nations observers, who monitor (without much success) the arms embargo imposed on Libya, confirms the presence in the country of contractors of the Russian group Wagner and Syrian fighters, loyal to the Assad regime, to support the forces by General Khalifa Haftar.
Russian contractors are multiplying on Libyan territory. For the first time, a United Nations report confirms the presence in Libya of private soldiers employed by the Russian group Wagner, to support Haftar, the strongman of Cyrenaica, who has been trying to conquer Tripoli since April 2019. The presence had been revealed in 2019, by the American media, but it is the first time that the United Nations confirms it in an official report, presented to the Security Council on April 24.
The Wagner group is believed to be close to President Vladimir Putin, although the Kremlin has always denied any involvement in the activities of the private company Wagner in Libya.
The team of observers has monitored the presence of Wagner private soldiers in Libya since October 2018. They estimate their number from 800 to 1.200, but claim that they are unable to communicate the exact number and, above all, their rotation on the field , during the various offensives launched against the Libyan capital.
Members of the Wagner group provide technical support for the repair of military vehicles, participate in the training of Haftar forces and in combat operations, according to United Nations observers. They provide support in the field of artillery, air traffic control, electronic countermeasures and sniping actions.
Observers also claim to have evidence of a transfer of Syrian fighters from Damascus to Libya.
The presence of Syrian fighters in support of the government of national unity in Tripoli, an opponent of Marshal Haftar, was confirmed in February by Turkey, militarily committed since the beginning of the year with the Government of the National Union (GNA), headed by Fayez at -Sarraj.
The news is that Syrian fighters from Damascus support Khalifa Haftar.
In early March, the Cyrenaean authorities reopened a Libyan embassy in Damascus after eight years of breaking diplomatic ties between Libya and Syria.
The UN secretary general, Antonio Guterres, has been careful not to identify Russia and Syria as the countries of origin of the mercenaries.
But in a report to the Security Council of May 5, the Secretary General denounces the continuous information on the implications of foreign mercenaries for the benefit of the Haftar deployment (forgetting Turkish support for al-Sarraj), in open violation of the arms embargo decreed by the same Security Councils in 2011.
However, neither he nor United Nations observers recommend taking action against those responsible for the violations.
The escalation of the Libyan crisis is to be found in the wider events affecting the Eastern Mediterranean. France, Cyprus, Greece, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates have officially condemned President Erdoğan's hegemonic policy, while Italy is increasingly taking a marginal position.
Through a joint statement, issued today, the foreign ministers of these five countries denounced the illegal Turkish activities taking place in the EEZ of Cyprus and its territorial waters and the interventions of Turkish soldiers in Libya.
It is not the first time that Italy is reluctant to side with the countries that strongly criticized Ankara's foreign policy. In this regard, the decision of the Foreign Minister, Luigi Di Maio, not to sign the final statement adopted last January in Cairo - where the head of Italian diplomacy was on an official visit - at the end of a meeting with colleagues from Egypt, France, Greece and Cyprus on Turkey's military interference with Libya.
This group of countries often and strongly attacks Turkey essentially for two reasons.
The first is Turkey's support for the Libyan government of al-Sarraj's national agreement (of which we should theoretically be supporters), in contrast to General Khalifa Haftar who instead is openly supported by Egyptians and Emirates. The second reason, however, is the energy match in the Eastern Mediterranean which mainly involves Cyprus and Greece. By signing the recent memorandum with Tripoli, Erdoğan created an energy corridor linking al-Sarraj's Tripolitania to Ankara, strengthening Turkey's role as hub energy.
Turkey now demands that offshore areas off Cyprus be exploitable at its discretion. We remind readers that we also paid a very high price when an Italian exploration ship (Saipem 12000) was surrounded by Turkish warships while it was legitimately exploring a concession. offshore. The paradox is that the press releases of the Farnesina continue to underline the importance of the alliance with the Turks, while they do not scruple to protect their interests, even to our detriment.
So, at the moment, there is no mention of siding against Turkey. Italy has always maintained a sort of equidistance with both sides. In Libya we have always supported al-Sarraj (on paper), but everyone will remember that a short time ago the Prime Minister Conte received at Palazzo Chigi Haftar even before al-Sarraj, who should be the only leader recognized by the United Nations. That "rude", however, led the head of the Tripoli government to cancel a visit to Rome on that same day.
Lo status quo on the one hand this group of five countries, plus Russia, crystallizes on the one hand, while on the other there is Turkey and the third point nobody ever talks about: Qatar, the great Arab ally of Ankara.
It is difficult to hypothesize that Italy could support an action against Turkey, an ally of Qatar, the day after the Turkish Secret Services (MIT) declared that it had freed Silvia (Aisha) Romano, and then sold it to ours, after the liberation agreement was signed in Qatar. Then Italy paid money on which the competent magistrates will have to investigate, but the geopolitical question is very clear: it is unthinkable that Italy, in the aftermath of the release of the young cooperator, explicitly communicated to the press by the Turks with the Doha mediation , could join the chorus of sentences.
There is not only the energy issue, on which Italy is also a victim; there is not only the Libyan question, where Italy now appears cut off. There is a fundamental geopolitical question where our country, in regions such as the Horn of Africa - where it once had a primary role - can now only adapt to Ankara's decisions.
Photo: SANA / Twitter / presidency of the republic of Turkey / presidency of the council of ministers
