Libya's Shifting Sands of External Influence
General Khalifa Haftar, commander of the so-called Libyan National Army (LNA), has once again reorganized his southern command following reports of local tribal clashes near the Niger border. This move, framed as an internal adjustment by state media, follows a helocopter crash involving Russian Wagner Group mercenaries, who have long supplied Haftar's forces with materiel and personnel, and
precedes a major international gathering on Libya's supposed 'stability.' This is not a new script; recall Haftar's 2019 offensive on Tripoli, backed significantly by the UAE, Egypt, Russia, and France, which failed to dislodge the UN-recognized government despite substantial military aid. Such external patronage, including an estimated $3.5 billion in foreign military support over recent years,
allows figures like Haftar to maintain a semblance of authority while perpetuating Libya's fragmentation. The current reshuffle ensures his foreign backers retain control over strategic border areas, crucial for illicit trafficking routes and projection of influence into the Sahel. What mainstream narratives omit is how these 'internal' power struggles are meticulously orchestrated by external
actors. While the West decries Russian involvement, particularly the Wagner Group, their own historical interventions, such as the 2011 NATO 'humanitarian' bombing which plunged Libya into chaos and led directly to the re-emergence of slave markets, created the vacuum that figures like Haftar and his foreign sponsors now exploit. Libya's wealth, particularly its vast oil reserves netting over $20