Description: General Khalifa Haftar’s Libyan National Army (LNA) has reportedly procured a new batch of Chinese Feng Long F – 1 and TB2 combat drones, violating the UN arms embargo on the country imposed in 2011. Haftar rules much of eastern and southern Libya while the internationally recognized government in Tripoli holds much of the west and northern parts of the country. China’s Zhongtian Feilong and Turkey’s Bayraktar, the companies’ manufacturing the drones provided no comments on the newly released information. LNA’s drone procurement from China and Turkey arrives on the back of Libya’s defense agreement with Pakistan in Dec last year, when the LNA agreed to procure $4 billion in military equipment from Pakistan including Chinese – made JF – 17 fighter jets. Relations between Libya and Turkey, despite the latter’s support for the government in Tripoli have also been improving with Haftar’s son, Saddam, visiting Ankara three times in the last six months to discuss defense, energy and intelligence cooperation.
Impact: The LNA is strongly positioning itself to become the dominant governing entity in Libya, with an entire portfolio of strategic opportunities offered by the recent procurements of drones and other types of military equipment. Haftar’s close ties to the UAE and by extension to the Rapid Support Forces in Sudan could also likely serve as a force multiplier in the Sudanese civil war which has already surpassed Sudan’s borders and spilled into Chad, creating vast regional instability. Haftar emerges as a dominant figure drawing support from different and opposing partners such as Turkey, the UAE and Pakistan. China’s drones are highly likely to have also arrived from the Emirates, considering UAE’s close defense ties with Beijing or due to the recent defense partnership concluded between the LNA and Pakistan, which is also China’s strategic partner. The security landscape in north and central Africa is continuing to complicate with warlords such as Khalifa Haftar and the LNA playing a dominant role in regional alliances, conflicts and influence operations.