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 enough and allows for remobilization. We have a vast amount of experience of supporting clients from the media, telecoms, power generation, Oil & Gas, Construction & NGO sectors. For more information on our services within Libya please email us at specialprojects@snegroup.co.uk or visit our website www.snespecialprojects.co.uk
We are now well into the second half of Ramadan which started on the 18 June. The atmospherics in Tripoli have been good this last week with no incidents of note to report. Prime Minister Abdullah Thinni has warned that once a government of national unity is agreed that an international force maybe needed on the ground in Libya to stabilize the situation and combat the terrorist threat whilst the new administration builds up its own police and army forces.
A member of the French National Assembly has flown into Tripoli for a 24 hour visit which despite being private is seen in the city as bolstering the embattled General National Congress (GNC) and the internationally unrecognized government appointed by it. Jean-Frédéric Poisson, a member of the opposition UMP party led by former President Nicolas Sarkozy, was met by the First Deputy President of the GNC, Awad Abdul Saddeq, and then had a meeting with Tripoli’s oil minister, Mashallah Zwai, he was also due to meet with Nuri Abu Sahmain, the president of the GNC. The object of his visit is unclear, however there have been suggestions that Poisson wants to persuade the GNC to accept the latest draft in the UN-brokered Dialogue in Skhirat, Morocco, but this has not been confirmed.
Reports out of Misrata of a possible IED which exploded inside Misrata Air Defense Base on Monday with no casualties being reported. The report stated that the bomb was planted under three non-working aircraft with the fire stretching to a nearby aircraft claiming one MIG 25 before the firefighters managed to put out the fire. There are still conflicting reports of how this incident actually occurred and IS have quickly claimed responsibility for this attack and Misrata have allegedly retaliated with the bombing of IS camps to the west of Sirte.
The Egyptian authorities have closed the Musaid-Sollum border crossing. According to Tobruk Municipal Council spokesman, Marwan Younis Bakr, the Egyptians closed it to Libyan travellers because of last week’s assassination of Egyptians and the current ongoing military operations in Sinai where 63 Islamists were reported killed. Egyptian president Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has on several occasions expressed concerns about militants in Libya.
The National Movement for the Tuaregs in the South has called on all the parties in the UN-brokered Dialogue to agree to the latest UN Draft as soon as possible in order to end the crisis in the country. In its statement, the Tuareg body said that dialogue and rejection of divisions were the only way to resolve the country’s problems. The Tuareg statement stressed its full support for moves to achieve national consensus based on the latest draft submitted by the United Nations Mission in Libya and on the formation of the state institutions, justice and equality.
At least four soldiers were killed with one civilian and nineteen others injured in fighting in Benghazi’s Buhdeima district on Sunday. The fighting started when militants from the Benghazi Revolutionaries’ Shoura Council (BRSC) attacked the military police base in the district in what appears to have been a coordinated attempt to retake the entire district. Meanwhile in Benghazi, three other soldiers were killed and four wounded in what appears to have been a booby-trap explosion, when they entered house in Buatni.
Sabha has continued to make the news this week with several incidents proving its instability at present. The Bodies of a couple were found with their throats cut on the main road of Mahdia, Sabha on Friday, twenty five people have been killed in Sabha during the month of Ramadan so far. Reports also of a person being kidnapped by four armed men in a dark sedan in Sabha on Friday, the kidnappers have demanded 80,000 dinars ransom for their release. A body of man showing torture marks was found next to the University of Sabha on Friday, the identity of the victim is still unknown.
We are advising No movement to the western area of Libya in and around Al Aziah and other surrounding areas where fighting is still ongoing between the Zintan (LNA) and Misrata (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 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 at some point in the future.
SNE remains fully operational on the ground within Tripoli, where our mixed British and Libyan Country Management Team are able to support any of our existing and additional clients requests and provide up to date accurate information 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 stabilises and allows for travel.
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.
