Rapport du Groupe d'Experts du Conseil de Sécurité des Nations-Unies sur la Libye

Mon travail sur la crise libyenne depuis un an confirmé par les Experts du Conseil de Sécurité des Nations-Unies sur la Libye

Version en français de l'article publié sur War Is Boring le 14 juin 2017

Le 9 juin 2017, le Groupe d’Experts des Nations Unies créé à la suite de la résolution 1973 sur la Libye a publié son rapport final sur son travail pour le Conseil de Sécurité. Ce document, long de près de 300 pages, inclus notamment des détails sur l’évolution politique et la sécuritaire du pays, la violation des droits de l’homme, la violation de l’embargo sur les armes, la prévention des exportations illicites de pétrole brut, le détournement de fonds publics et le financement des groupes armés.

Une grande partie du chapitre concernant la violation de l’embargo sur les armes, soit une trentaine de pages, a mentionné, réutilisé et/ou confirmé mes recherches et analyses publiées depuis un an sur plusieurs médias spécialisés (War Is Boring, Middle East Eye et le magazine DSI).

Misrata has recruited new mercenaries for its air force

Forces loyal to the Libyan renegade military commander Khalifa Haftar claim foreign mercenaries are being recruited to bolster the air power of rival fighters in the city of Misrata. Colonel Ahmed Almesmari, of Haftar's Libyan National Army, said this week that the 11 mercenaries had entered the city, including "nine jet technicians from Ecuador, one Ukrainian pilot, one missile expert from Georgia".

A source close to the international mission in Libya, who asked to remain anonymous, also confirmed this to Middle East Eye. Almesmari told MEE that the Libyan National Army (LNA) was "not in a stage to comment further". "In case we decide to announce detailed info, it will be on our official outlets," he added.

The mercenaries were reported by MEE's source to have entered the cities of Misrata and Mitiga. The hiring of mercenaries would break UN resolutions on arms control in Libya.

Libyan militia building mercenary air force, rivals claim

The Libyan National Army Is Running Out of Air Power

The Libyan National Army Air Force — part of the eastern-based Tobruk regime, one of two competing governments in Libya — lost two fighter-bombers and an experienced pilot in fewer than two weeks. A MiG-21 shot down over the Al Sabri district in Benghazi and a second MiG-21 that crashed near Tobruk after a mission to Derna, killing the commander of Gamal Abdul El Nasser air base.

The LNA/AF, under the command of Gen. Khalifa Haftar, also lost a Mi-35 gunship helicopter that the air arm abandoned at Ras Lanouf air base during a militant attack — and then destroyed.The losses have sharply reduced the LNA/AF’s combat capability as it battles western-based Misrata militants who are determined to hold Libya’s central oil crescent.

The Libyan National Army Is Running Out of Air Power

Libyan An-32P Firekiller returned to service

Photos appeared on Libyan social media confirmed that a new Antonov An-32P was overhauled by technician and engineer at Misrata airbase. This "Cline" (serial '3507', code '5A-DRE') was built in 2005 and delivered to the Libyan Air Force on 1st September of the same year. it was previously used as firekiller and was seen during LAVEX airshow in october 2007. Since this period, it was stored at Mitiga airbase near Tripoli. This aircraft is the second An-32P in service with the ex-LDAF (Libya Dawn Air Force). The first one was seen operated on 28th August 2016 during the evacuation of wounded fighters in the battle of Sirte.

Libyan airstrikes Situation Report : 7 - 30 November 2016

On 26 November, an airstrike was performed on Kilinja checkpoint some 350 kilometres south west of the Tebu village of Rebyana, itself 150 kilometres from the desert oasis town of Kufra. Some sources claimed this bombing mission was carried out by an Emirates AT-802 aircraft but the location of the attack is too far from al-Khadim where are based the "Air Tractors". But, this strike could have been realized by one of the three Wing Loong UAV which seem to have left al-Kadhim in October for an unidentified airbase.

Libya’s Chinook Helicopters Are Old as Hell

The Libya Dawn Air Force, one of two competing air arms in Libya, is overhauling two former Libyan air force CH-47C Chinook heavylift transport helicopters at Mitiga air base in Tripoli, with the goal of returning the twin-rotor copters — serial numbers LC-017 and, probably, LC-010 — to service in Libya’s grinding civil war.

The CH-47Cs are old … with an incredibly rich history.

Libya’s Chinook Helicopters Are Old as Hell - But they’re about to take flight again

Libyan airstrikes Situation Report : 17 October - 6 November 2016

Libyan airstrikes Situation Report : 1 - 16 October 2016

My publication in September

This month, I published in collaboration with Tom Cooper a big article (14 pages) in September issue of the new French military aviation magazine Airpower. We make a state of the situation in Libya, including the hypothetical engagement of French fighter-bombers in the air strikes, but also on the air forces of each side and the US strikes.

"The two Libyan Air Forces" Who’s backing who ?

On May 16, 2016, the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council expressed their readiness to lift the world body’s arms embargo on Libya in favor of the new Government of National Accord. For one reason. The GNA’s deputy prime minister Musa Al Kony had requested planes and helicopters to equip his forces fighting the Islamic State. The GNA relies on the Libyan Dawn Air Force, or LDAF, for its air power. But the LDAF is really suffering. The request highlighted Libya’s confusing politics. The GNA, based in Tripoli in western Libya, has many rivals. And arguably the strongest of these rivals is the House of Representatives in the eastern city of Tobruk.

Great, Now There Are Two Competing Libyan Air Forces

Libyan Mirage F1ED crashed near Sirte

The GNA (Government of National Accord) Air Force lost one its two Mirage F1EDs in service yesterday evening. The aircraft crashed 30 km west of the city of Sirte due to technical problem (fuel pump failure). The pilot ejected safely and came back to the airbase. One of these aircraft was return to service end of April. The second was waiting for a new engine. The maintenance of the two Mirages was complicated because most of F1 cells left by the former Libyan Air Force were based on al-Watiya airbase captured summer 2014 by the LNA. The Mirage F1 were the spearhead of the former Libya Dawn Air Force and were very involved in the recent bombing in Sirte and Abu Grein. GNA has now only two MiG-23MLDs, one J-21 and a few G-2s and L-39s operational.

Mirage F1ED serial "502" seen at Misrata airbase in April 2016

"Libyan airstrikes" situation update 21 - 27 May 2016

On 20th May 2016, in an interview for the French channel I-Tele, general Haftar, head of the Libyan National Army, asked the dismantling of the Government of National Accord (GNA) forces as a prerequisite for a possible rapprochement in the fight against the Islamic State group : "An army can not unite to militias. So these militias must be dismantled. It is unthinkable for us to work with these armed factions". He added : "We are not facing Daech for seize the oil. When we fought at Derna, there was no oil. When we fought in Benghazi, there was no oil either. A Adjabiya, it was the same, there was no oil. But actually in Libya, there are huge resources that the Libyan people will benefit after the return to calm."

"Libyan airstrikes" situation update 14 - 20 May 2016

On 16th May 2016, the five permanent members of the UN Security Council expressed their willingness to discontinue the arms embargo in favor of the Government of National Accord (GNA) to fight IS (Isalmic State). The next day, GNA through the Deputy Prime Minister Musa al-Kony has asked for planes and helicopters. This embargo is in effect since the beginning of the Libyan uprising via resolution 1970 adopted by the Security Council on 26th February  2011. It covers the arms and related material of all types - weapons and ammunition, military vehicles and equipment, equipment paramilitary and related spare parts (an exclusion applies to non-lethal equipment, technical assistance, training or financial support for the government of Libya through resolution 2009 of 16th September 2011 and the resolution of 2095 of 14th March 2013).

"Libyan airstrikes" situation update 7 - 13 May 2016

The situation update of this week is characterized by multiple events. Airstrikes were very intense in Benghazi, Derna by LNA AF (Libyan National Army Air Force) and in Abu Grein area by LDAF (Libya Dawn Air Force). In addition, the first images of new MiG-23 being refurbished appeared.

New MiG-23s for LNA AF

After the commissioning of one MiG-23ML and two MiG-23BNs the last months, mechanicians and engineers started working on MiG-23UB serial number '8008' and MiG-23BN serial number '9119'. This aircraft has no refueling probe contrary to MiG-23BNs serial '4136' and '8985'.

My publications in May

This month, I published an article in May-June issue of DSI Magazines about airpower during the seconde Libyan civil war. I describe the order of battle of the two air forces : LNA AF (Libyan National Army Air Force) in the side of Tobruk government, recognized by international authorities, and LDAF (Libya dawn Air Force) in the side of Tripoli government and Fajr Libya militias. I also contributed to Combat Aircraft Monthly in the "News world" chapter with a short article on the Su-25s delivered to Iraq. Ce mois-ci, j'ai publié un article dans le numéro de mai-Juin de DSI Magazines au sujet de la puissance aérienne durant la seconde guerre civile libyenne . J'y décris l'ordre de bataille des deux forces aériennes: LNA AF (Libyan National Army Air Force) du côté du gouvernement Tobrouk, reconnue par les instances internationales, et LDAF (Libya dawn Air Force) du côté du gouvernement de Tripoli et les milices de Fajr Libya . J'ai aussi contribué aux actualités dans Combat Aircraft Monthly avec un court article à propos des derniers Su-25 livrés à l'Iraq.

"Libyan airstrikes" situation update 30 April - 6 May 2016

This week, aerial operations were characterized by two majors events : the first flights of the two MiG-23BNs refurbished by engineers and mechanicians of the LNA (Libyan National Army) Air Force and the bombing by LD (Libya Dawn) Air Force MiG-23MLDs of LNA forces near Zillah.

Libyan National Army Air Force has now two MiG-23BNs operational

After the first flight of MiG-23BN serial number "8985" performed on 30th April, it is the turn of the serial number "4136" to fly for the first time on 4th May in the sky after ten years of storage. The refurbishing of these two aircrafts, which must be added the MiG-23ML serial number "26453", allows the LNA AF to regain the number of Flogger equivalent at the end of last year before losing its entire fleet in a month and a half.

"Libyan airstrikes" situation update 23 - 29 April 2016

Following the last situation update, many airstrikes were performed last week by the two Libyan Air Forces. Indeed, the week was characterized by greater communication from the LDAF (Libya Dawn Air Force) about its air strikes and one of its two Mirage F1EDs returned to service. LNA AF (Libyan National Army Air Force) also published new photos of the wreckage of the Mi-14 crashed at Labraq airbase.

Libya Dawn Air Force Mirage F1 returned to service ?

End of afternoon, the noise of an aircraft breaking the sound barrier was heard in the sky of Misrata. According to Misrata Air Academy, this fighter jet was one of the two Mirage F1EDs of Libya Dawn Air Force which has returned to service after having passed the test flight successfully. It is unclear when this Mirage really returned to service. On 17th April, local sources claimed that the two Mirage F1EDs have carried out airstrikes against IS positions in Sirte, but according to other sources close to LDAF, only one aircraft was operational.

"Libyan airstrikes" situation update 16 - 22 April 2016

This week began by the large communication (video and photos) made by the LNA AF about the refurbishing of the two MiG-23BNs (serial number "4136" and "8985") and ended with the lost of one Mi-14 helicopter.