A report by the United Nations Panel of Experts on Libya said on Friday that armed groups in Libya have increased their capacity to create areas of immunity for their criminal activities, and to influence national politics, singling out the rise of Saddam Haftar – son of Khalifa Haftar – as one of the most powerful stakeholders in the east, saying it had illustrated further how the Haftar family reinforced its grip over the “Libyan Arab Armed Forces (LAAF).”
The report indicated that some Haftar forces’ elements based in the southern part of the country were involved in the transfer of ammunition and weaponry to the Sudanese armed group Rapid Support Forces shortly after the beginning of the armed conflict in Sudan in April 2023.
“Armed groups leaders used their position not only to impact the security situation but also to control various aspects of Libya’s social-economic life.” The Panel of Experts added, saying that armed groups continued to exploit all-terrain vehicles and smart electronic fast-moving consumer goods, such
as uncrewed aerial vehicles, for widespread military utility, while Haftar-affiliated forces continued to capture and ransom merchant vessels in maritime areas under their control.
Regarding the violations that Haftar-loyal groups had been committing in the eastern region in different fields, the Panel of Experts’ report said over the reporting period, they had identified 24 tankers loading refined petroleum products in Benghazi: these being exports that according to the National Oil Corporation and the Brega Oil Marketing Company were illegal.
