Russia broke into Libya

Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, the eldest son of Muammar Gaddafi, who was brutally murdered in 2011, is going to run for president of Libya. Back in 2017, one of the former officials of the Libyan Jamahiriya, Tahar Dagesh created the Council of Tribes and Cities of Libya, which recognized Saif al-Islam as the official representative of his late father, and the daughter of Muammar, Aisha Gaddafi, as the representative for international affairs. The Council aims to restore the Jamahiriya on the principles proclaimed by the late Colonel Gaddafi.





As you know, after the overthrow and assassination of Gaddafi and a bloody civil war, Libya as a single state actually ceased to exist. Different regions of the country are controlled by different forces, based on armed forces and supported by various forces abroad. In this situation, Saif al-Islam Gaddafi really looks like a figure capable of consolidating a fragmented Libyan society around him. But both the West and the oil monarchies of the Persian Gulf are opposed to the eldest son of the murdered colonel, who played a key role in financing and informational support for the 2011 “Arab Spring” in Libya. For example, the Qatari Al-Jazeera wonders what if the Gaddafi clan returns to power in Libya, then what was the meaning of the Libyan Revolution?

Now in Libya - very difficult политическая situation. In a country divided by war, several “governments” operate at once. The UN recognizes the "Government of National Accord" led by Fais Saraj, which, however, has little control over the situation. In Tobruk, the “House of Representatives” operates, which is nominally led by Salah Issa, and in fact the real fullness of power is in the hands of Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Libyan National Army. Khalifa Haftar - Gaddafi’s former associate in the 1969 revolution, who later studied in the Soviet Union. At one time, it was Haftar who was placed in the State Department and the CIA, but then the field marshal “swung” towards Russia. In 2017, he visited Moscow, where he discussed the supply of Russian weapons for the needs of the Libyan National Army. Now it is very beneficial for Haftar to use Saif al-Islam as an important political ally, having great influence on the Bedouin tribes, who remained faithful to the Gaddafi clan, and on the armed groups of the Gaddafi who retreated after the assassination of their leader in Tunisia and Egypt.

There is no need to talk about Moscow seriously putting Saif al-Islam as an independent figure. The surname of Gaddafi has long become odious, many internal and external forces are opposed to Saif’s candidacy, so Russia is now much more convenient to negotiate with the same Haftar, who has already visited Moscow. Therefore, the accusations against Saif al-Islam that he allegedly expresses the interests of Russia, and not the Libyan people, are more likely connected with the West’s desire to prevent the return of the Gaddafi clan to Libyan politics. Indeed, if Saif suddenly, by virtue of a miracle or accident, leads the Libyan state, this will be a serious reputation blow for the Western powers, declaring almost all members of the family of the deceased colonel to be war criminals and corrupt officials. But if the promotion of Saif al-Islam is beneficial to Khalifa Haftar and his supporters and will play for the benefit of the unification of Libya, then why not Russia support the eldest son of the late Libyan leader?