British diplomats came under fire in Tripoli late last month, as Libya is wracked by rising instability and geopolitical tension.
At around 6 a.m. on June 26, two U.K. embassy vehicles carrying British diplomatic staff were driving from Mitiga Airport toward a residential area in the capital when they encountered a Toyota Land Cruiser with no license plates or identifying markings, according to local reports that were confirmed to POLITICO by two officials familiar with the matter.
The convoy attempted to maneuver around the suspicious vehicle, but the driver gave chase and fired a series of gunshots, damaging both British vehicles. No injuries were reported.
But the incident was serious enough to be reported to British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s office, one of the officials familiar with the matter said. The U.K.’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office declined to comment on the incident.
Foreign powers, particularly Turkey and Russia, are deepening their influence in the fractured North African country, which remains split between rival administrations in the west and east. Street violence is increasing as Tripoli-backed militias clash with gangs favored by the Russia-supported government in the country’s east, which is gaining influence.
It’s not clear what motivated the gunman who shot at British staff. According to one of the officials, who were both granted anonymity to speak candidly, the attack on the British convoy was carried out by a member of the General Service Apparatus militia, which is backed by the government in Tripoli.
Nevertheless, the British ultimately judged it to be an incident of road rage, according to one of the officials. The U.K. government recognizes the administration in Tripoli and has a generally good relationship with its leadership, so it’s unlikely one of its affiliated militias would attack the country’s diplomatic corps. Tripoli authorities also took pains to investigate the matter, the official added.
Russia-aligned warlord
Against this backdrop, a visit by U.K. Foreign Office officials to Benghazi had been planned for July 15 to meet key players in the country, including General Khalifa Haftar, the Russia-aligned warlord who controls eastern Libya.
The trip went ahead, but was limited after Haftar made a meeting with representatives of the unrecognized Benghazi-based government a condition for his participation. Instead, the U.K. delegation, led by British Middle East Minister Hamish Falconer, opted to limit its visit to Tripoli, arriving in the western capital on Monday.
The trip was mainly focused on trying to pull the eastern authorities out of Russia’s orbit, according to a diplomat familiar with the matter, granted anonymity to discuss sensitive matters.
The UK is very concerned about Russia expanding its presence in Libya, not wanting to have to contend with a Russian naval presence in the Med on NATO’s southern flank.
In Tripoli, the U.K. is seeking to recoup several million pounds owed to its health service by the Libyan government after Libyans used U.K. hospitals without paying their bills. Also on the agenda was a proposal from the African nation to open a visa processing center. Migration was discussed, but not as a headline issue — in contrast to last week’s ill-fated visit by European politicians to Tripoli.
That diplomatic mission descended into chaos when a high-level delegation — including EU Migration Commissioner Magnus Brunner and ministers from Italy, Greece and Malta — was declared persona non grata and ordered to leave the country.
The EU delegation had traveled to meet both the Tripoli-based government and Haftar, but their stop in Benghazi turned into a diplomatic fiasco. Haftar’s team insisted on including two senior ministers from the eastern administration — a move the EU officials hadn’t agreed to since that government isn’t recognized by the United Nations. The fallout sparked internal criticism, with officials privately blaming Brussels for the diplomatic embarrassment.
The British embassy sought assurances that it wouldn’t be subjected to the same conditions as the EU delegation, and canceled that part of its trip when it failed to receive those assurances, one of the officials said. The government only engages with Haftar’s Libyan National Army, and not the unrecognized government.
Southern European nations such as Italy and Greece are sounding the alarm in Brussels, as migrant flows from North Africa to Europe surge during the summer months.
While the U.K. formally supports the U.N.-recognized Government of National Unity in Tripoli, it has also maintained cautious diplomatic engagement with Haftar as part of broader efforts to promote stability.
British diplomats have intermittently met with Haftar over the years, including during two visits by then-Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson in 2017.
This article has been updated.
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