SNE Special Projects have operated within Libya since the revolution of 2011 and are a fully licensed security provider working with our Libyan partner company. We have kept our permanent British & Libyan Country Management Team in Tripoli throughout the last few difficult months, supporting our clients staff and critical infrastructure and offering up to date, regular and accurate reporting throughout this period. We are now in a strong position to advise and support our clients as they look to plan their re-entry back into Libya as and when the current situation stabilises and allows for remobilization and we have a vast amount of experience of supporting clients from the media, telecoms, power generation & NGO sectors. For more information on our services within Libya please email us at specialprojects@snegroup.co.uk
SNE Libya Security Summary
The UNSMIL Chief Bernadino Leon has succeeded with arranging for representatives of all the political players to meet in Geneva this next week, with many observers stating that this really is the crucial time to sort Libya’s problems out. Any further delay will be disastrous with Libya’s debts mounting and oil flow plunged to record lows. The dialogue, postponed several times since the original Ghadames talks in September 2014 because of the increasingly intransigent positions taken by the various parties to the Libyan divide, were announced on Sunday 11 January by the UNSMIL following visits by UN Specil Envoy Bernardino Leon the day before to Tobruk, Marj and Tripoli.
There are suggestions that his trip achieved a breakthrough and that despite the rhetoric, both Libya Dawn in Tripoli, the House of Representatives (HoR) in Tobruk and the Libyan government in Beida are finally willing to talk together in order to get out of the current impasse. “This represents a last chance which must be seized. Libya is at a crucial juncture, the different actors should be in no doubt of the gravity of the situation that the country finds itself in. The opportunity to establish a ceasefire and find a political solution should not be wasted,” she stated, adding that she was in regular contact with Leon and that he had the EU’s full support.
On another note an Italian business delegation which arrived in Tripoli on Sunday was given the full red carpet treatment by the Mayor of Tripoli and Hassi regime officials in the mistaken belief that one of them was the Mayor of Rome and the others were members of the Italian parliament.
Claims have been made this week by Libya Dawn to have shelled Wattiya airbase, the epicentre of LNA air operations in the west of Libya, have been denied by Zintan Operations Room (ZOR) which controls the base. In return the Zintan forces claim to be approaching the Ras Jdir Tunisian Border Crossing Point (BCP) with the intention of capturing it from Libya Dawn. Claims and denials by both Libya Dawn and the LNA of attacks against each other continue unabated in a media war between the two that appears almost as important as the battle on the ground.
The pro GNC National Salvation government based in Tripoli and not recognized internationally, said on Thursday that it was launching a security plan for Tripoli and its suburbs. There was an RPG attack on a Tripoli Based TV station North of Ben Ashour with no reported casualties.
The Minister for Wounded and Martyrs in the Hassi “government”, Mohamed Al-Jazwi, has called terror suspect Nazih Al-Ruqaii, alias Abu Anas Al-Libi, a “hero”. Hundreds of mourners attended the funeral Saturday of Abu Anas al-Libi, an Al-Qaeda suspect who died in the United States days before facing a trial for bombing US embassies.
Fighting continues throughout the Oil Crescent, following Libya Dawns’ launching of its Operation Sunrise campaign on 13 December 2014, to fight for control of the oil terminals at Es Sider and Ras Lanuf. While reports suggest that the Libyan Army may have carried out air strikes on the Sirte Airport and surrounding area on 11 January 2015, pro-Libya Dawn sources have claimed that air strikes launched by the Libyan Army against Bin Jawad on 09 January 2015, caused damage to the al Wahda Bank.
Power-cuts continue daily in Tripoli and Libya Wide with also reports of food shortages. Fuel and especially diesel is in short supply in Tripoli and Benghazi.
The Situation in Benghazi is looking very much better and with Libyan National Army (LNA) Forces very much in control with the vast majority of the city under there command.
Due to the current ongoing unstable and unpredictable situation within Libya, SNE are recommending that clients only carry out business essential travel to Libya at present and these trips should only be undertaken within Tripoli city limits and no movement should be attempted in the hours of darkness or near the area of Tripoli International Airport and surroundings districts which have been affected by the fighting and are currently controlled by the Libya Dawn militia group.
We are advising No movement to the western area of Libya in and around Kikla and Rujban and other sur-rounding areas where fighting is still ongoing between the Zintan and Libya Dawn militia groups. Sporadic fighting between rival tribal factions is also currently ongoing in the areas of Ubari, Sabha & Murzuq and we are advising our clients Not to travel to these southern areas at present.
We are still presently advising NO travel should be made to Benghazi until the current situation shows signs of stability and Operation Dignity forces have full control of the city and transportation methods of entering and leaving Benghazi are open and fully operational again.
SNE are supporting our clients at present in Tripoli with business essential travel visits and are offering a full turnkey security risk management, safe transportation with secure accommodation and life support pack-age based from our Tripoli villa.
The British FCO and US State Department are still advising against travel to Libya and are monitoring the security and political situation before considering remobilisation plans back into Libya.
SNE remains fully operational on the ground within Tripoli, where our British Country Management Team are able to support any of our existing and additional clients requests and provide up to date accurate in-formation and analysis on the ever changing situation to those clients who are currently out of country monitoring the situation with an aim to re-deploying when the security and political situation allows.
Before considering travel to Libya, an itinerary specific pre-travel risk assessment including mitigation measures are recommended. In-country personnel should be confident in their evacuation procedures and crisis management plans and in light of the current situation these should be checked and updated where necessary with the appropriate level of support in country to activate the plans when required.
To discuss further how SNE can support your projects in Libya please contact us by email at specialprojects@snegroup.co.uk or call our Dubai office on +971 44561542 / +971 503786803
