US criticizes EU naval mission to impose arms embargo on Libya

Defence Redefined

Published on 17/07/2020 at 11:12

On Thursday, a senior US diplomat criticized the European Union’s naval mission tasked with overseeing the implementation of the arms embargo on Libya, saying that the effort was biased, like Turkey itself.

The European Union launched Operation Irini to implement the arms embargo theoretically imposed by the United Nations on Libya since 2011.

But in June, there was an incident at sea between ships of France and Turkey, NATO member countries, which are supposed to cooperate in this mission with the EU. US Assistant Secretary of State for Middle East Affairs, David Senker, stated, by referring to the Europeans, that “the only restrictions they impose” concern “Turkish military equipment”.

“They could at least, if they were serious (…) call out all parties in the conflict when they violate the arms embargo,” he added during an event organized by the German Marshall Fund. “I think it’s regrettable. There’s a lot more that they can do,” he insisted.

Senker said the Europeans could block the movements of mercenaries from the Russian Wagner group, which is accused of backing the forces of General Khalifa Haftar. “Maybe they are concerned about the backlash from Russia,” he added. In the conflict in Libya there are forces loyal to the internationally recognized Tripoli-based National Unity Government (GNU) and General Haftar’s troops that control eastern and partly southern Libya. The GNU is mainly supported by Turkey, which has deployed troops.

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Haftar is backed by neighboring Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Russia. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and US President Donald Trump agreed this week to work “more closely” to resolve the conflict in Libya, according to Ankara.

Source: CNA