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Libyan officials cite evidence of Russian mercenaries in war
[Aljazeera] Libyan and US officials accuse Moscow of deploying private contractors to key battleground areas for General Haftar.Officials in Libya's UN-recognised government say they plan to confront Moscow over the alleged deployment of Russian mercenaries to fight alongside their opponents in the country's civil war. Libyan and US officials accused Russia of deploying fighters through a private security contractor, the Wagner Group, to key battleground areas in Libya in recent months. They say the Russian fighters are backing renegade military commander Khalifa Haftar, whose forces have been trying for months to capture the capital, Tripoli, where the UN-recognised Government of National Accord is based. The GNA has documented between 600 and 800 Russian mercenaries in Libya and is collecting their names on a list to present to the Russian government, according to Khaled al-Meshri, head of the GNA's Supreme Council of State. "We are going to visit Russia after we collect all evidence and present to the authorities and see what they say," al-Meshri told The Associated Press last week. He did not say when the visit would take place. Moscow has repeatedly denied playing any role in Libya's war. Related: Wagner Group: 2019-12-03 Libya's Presidential Council says airstrikes of Haftar's forces are "war crimes" Wagner Group: 2019-11-28 Air strikes shut production at Libya's al-Feel oilfield Wagner Group: 2019-11-27 US delegation meets Haftar, warns him of Russia's intervention in Libya Posted by: Besoeker 2019-12-06 |
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