Report relays warnings over Ukrainian activity in western Libya
LIBYA – Martin Igwe, first regional vice-president of the West African Action Network on Small Arms (WAANSA), has warned of the consequences of Ukrainian military personnel’s activities in Libya for regional stability, maritime security and international shipping across the Mediterranean.
Report on around 200 Ukrainian military personnel
According to a report published by the Nigerian newspaper Leadership, followed and summarised by Al-Marsad, Igwe’s remarks came after an investigation by Radio France Internationale (RFI) into the presence of around 200 Ukrainian military personnel in Libya.
The report cited the investigation as saying that these personnel had taken part in an attack on the Russian gas carrier Arctic Metagaz and are training Libyan military personnel to use drones and unmanned boats.
Fears the conflict could widen
The report raised questions about the possibility of the conflict spreading beyond its immediate theatres, and the potential consequences for the security of vital international shipping lanes.
It noted that the Mediterranean is a strategic corridor for global trade and for transporting energy and essential goods between Europe, North Africa and international markets, warning that any military escalation targeting commercial vessels or energy tankers could heighten security risks, disrupt shipping schedules and push up transport and insurance costs.
Threat to energy supply routes
The concerns set out in the report extended to regional energy security, as it warned that supply routes serving the Middle East and North Africa, as well as southern and south-eastern Europe, could be exposed to greater risks.
It also pointed to possible disruption of transport and logistics networks in the Mediterranean, with repercussions for international trade and regional economic stability.
Cooperation with western Libyan authorities and internal divisions
The report addressed cooperation between Ukrainian intelligence agencies and the authorities in western Libya, arguing that it could deepen existing divisions, particularly if rival political and military factions came to see these activities as a threat to their interests.
It concluded by noting that Libya remains politically and militarily divided despite repeated efforts to achieve stability, warning that a renewed confrontation involving external parties could undermine reconciliation efforts, intensify internal rivalry and open the door to further foreign intervention.
