After revealing that a Russian network linked to Wagner mercenaries had been targeted a few days ago, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced that they would confront Russia’s destabilizing activities in Libya, describing it as “malicious”.
And as many see, the escalation of the American rhetoric towards the Wagner mercenaries and Russia behind it indicates an American approach is developing in the Libyan crisis, which may lead to a more powerful intervention in this file, for fear of the increase and expansion of Russian influence more.
Malicious activities
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said: They want to confront Russia’s malign activities that destabilize Libya and contribute to the escalation of the situation, Pompeo, during a press conference from Greece, accused Russia of working to destabilize and escalate the situation in Libya, noting that his country is working with Greece, in order to develop the US Naval Support Brigade, in a way that contributes to countering the Russian role.
Targeting Wagners
Earlier, Pompeo announced that the United States had targeted a network linked to the Russian agent Yevgeny Prigozhin, because it serves to consolidate Russia’s “malign” influence in the Central African Republic, Libya and beyond.
New fortifications
On the other hand, Libyan army spokesman Colonel Pilot Mohamed Gnunu revealed that they had spotted the Wagner gangs fortifying the Al-Jufra air base with more than 31 locations.
Gnunu explained that the fortification of the Al-Jafra air base came after previous movements that coincided with suspicious military build-ups of mercenary militias towards the west, around Sirte, and southward to the Brak air base.
For his part, the spokesman for the Sirte Al-Jafra Operations Room, Abdul-Hadi Drah, reported that a helicopter carrying a number of Russian soldiers had fallen near Al-Jafra Air Base on September 23, in conjunction with Pompeo’s statements that a network working for the Wagner had been targeted.
The Wagner militias withdrew from the concentration areas south of the capital, Tripoli, on May 29, after their defense organizations, Pantsir, were targeted by the Turkish Air Force, which is an ally of the forces of the Government of National Accord, which prompted the Wagner group to withdraw, followed by Haftar’s militia to the areas of Al Jufra, Sirte and the Oil Crescent, and fortify them, and work to continue stopping oil and gas production.
