Belarussian delegation leave Benghazi after two-day visit
A delegation from Belarus has left Benghazi after a two-day visit which led to six framework agreements being signed, according to RFI on March 12th.
The parallel government in eastern Libya, under the control of Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, met with a high-level Belarussian delegation led by Deputy Prime Minister Viktor Karankevich and included members of Minsk’s intelligence services.
The statement from Osama Hamad’s government that the visit was part of “the strengthening of relations in various fields between the two friendly countries .” It aims to “raise the level of joint cooperation.”
The six frameworks signed covered health, agriculture, industry and, in particular, oil where contracts were signed regarded gas and oil exploitation in eastern and southern Libya.
Hammad and Haftar appear to be attempting to break their international isolation caused by the UN’s recognition of their rival government, the Government of National Unity, based in Tripoli. The dual governance structure continues to complicate efforts towards national reconciliation.
The visit comes less than a month after Field Marshal Haftar’s visit to Minsk and his meeting with President Lukashenko. The Belarussian President affirmed support for the eastern government and military agreements were reportedly signed to train Libyan National Army (LNA) officers in Minsk.
The rapprochement between Belarus and Benghazi has probably been initiated, or at the very least supported by, Moscow which continues its policy of strengthening its military and economic presence in Africa. Minsk is perhaps a front for Russian intervention in the region, reinforced by the delegation’s coincidental visit at the same time as Russian Deputy Defense Minister Yunus-bek Yevkurov, seen in Benghazi on March 7th.
The eastern government, under Hammad and Haftar seems to be breaking into the international arena not just in eastern Europe but the west, too. Reported by Maghrebi, Haftar met French President Emmanuel Macron at the Elysee Palace on February 26th. The two discussed “developments in the political process in Libya and the importance of supporting the UN mission’s efforts.”
RFI, Libya Review, Maghrebi
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