Libya's Grand Mufti urges unity against Russian presence
The Grand Mufti of Libya, Sheikh Sadik al-Ghariani, called on all Libyans on Friday to unite against the Russians in the country. He emphasized that it is where the Russians fled after the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime in Syria.
Mufti al-Ghariani stressed in his weekly program on Tanasuh television that Russians have increased their presence in Libya since the beginning of December, bringing in military equipment. He argued that these individuals are not civilians but fighters who must be expelled from Libya.
General Khalifa Haftar and his sons received the Russians in Libya, joining mercenaries from the Wagner Group already stationed in Benghazi and Tobruk.
- Libyans in the eastern, southern, and western regions of the country must oppose their presence, take up arms, and fight against them, said the mufti.
The previous day, Thursday, the Prime Minister of the Government of National Unity, Abd al-Hamid Dbeibah, also reacted to the presence of Russians. He stated his disagreement with the introduction of Russian military equipment into Libya and warned that his government will combat foreign troops. He also emphasized that "he will not accept Libya as an international battlefield."
Russian movements in Libya
Following the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime in Syria, Russia sent transport planes with air defense equipment to Libya. Simultaneously, the Russians seek permission to build a naval base in Tobruk near the Egyptian border. So far, General Haftar, who supports Putin, has not commented on this information.
Libya has been divided since 2011 into a western and an eastern part, both struggling with the presence of Russian mercenaries. Tripoli administers the Government of National Unity, while Haftar informally controls Benghazi.
