China has found itself embroiled in the conflict in Libya because of the support of the United Arab Emirates militia of the war criminal Khalifa Haftar with Chinese-made drones in the aggression on the capital Tripoli for months.
China was compelled to respond to the Libyan Foreign Ministry’s request to “take a stand on the use of Chinese-made drones in the aggression against Tripoli” by “asking for evidence”.
The Chinese response was reprehensible in light of the recognition by the United Nations in its latest experts report, including the UAE breach of the embargo on the supply of arms to Libya, and the pictures of the aircraft “Winglong” Chinese, which was managed by the “volcano of anger” forces are available to all followers, Let alone politicians and decision-makers.
Lutfi al-Maghribi, undersecretary of foreign affairs in the Libyan government, held a meeting with Chinese Assistant Foreign Minister Chen Xiaodong in Beijing, according to a Libyan Foreign Ministry statement.
The Libyan Foreign Ministry said that Morocco called on the Chinese government to take a position on the use of Haftar forces’ drones which are made in China in its aggression against Tripoli.
Haftar’s forces have used Wing Long drones made by China’s Chengdu in its attacks on the Libyan capital and other cities in western Libya.
The military news website “Defense News” said that the Chinese drones used by Haftar forces supported by the UAE Haftar to overthrow the government of reconciliation.
China reportedly sold Wing Long jets to Egypt and the United Arab Emirates in deals valued at $3 million to $5 million.
On August 3, the Government of National Accord forces announced the downing of a drone that was preparing to launch attacks on Misrata in northern Libya.
At various times, the GNA forces found the remnants of a Chinese-made LG7 air-to-surface missile in Tripoli, which could be loaded onto the wing of the drone Wing Long.
The GNA forces also showed photographs of Chinese-made laser-guided missiles and drones when Haftar’s forces were expelled from the city of Gharyan and took control at the end of June.
Libya’s Tabawi Congress accused the United Arab Emirates of killing more than 40 Tabu civilians in the southern city of Murzuq after an attack on a Chinese-made drones in early August.
UN experts confirmed that the UAE and Egypt have armed Haftar’s forces since 2014, and the UN envoy to Libya Ghassan Salameh revealed earlier this week to the Security Council that Haftar’s forces carried out more than 800 drone attacks since the start of the military campaign against Tripoli.
Chairman of the Security Committee and member of the Supreme State Council in Libya, Belkacem Dabras, said that China has interests that cannot be ignored in Libya, where it works in several economic sectors, stressing that huge projects are still stalled due to the security situation and the inability of Chinese companies to return to the country.
“We have proved beyond a doubt that there are sophisticated weapons in Libya originating in China – including weapons and drones used in the war on Tripoli – financed by the UAE’s Haftar.”
Dabbar asserts that the GNA will provide all indications to China on the use of Chinese weapons for Haftar if Beijing is really serious in pursuing the UAE, which funded Haftar these Chinese aircraft and weapons and supported the coup against the legitimate government and targeted civilians, in clear violation of the terms of the contract between the two countries, as he put it.
The Chinese role is growing in Africa, especially in the economic sphere, he said, noting that the reconciliation government is looking forward to fair cooperation and partnership with Beijing.
Military experts say it is easy to prove that some of the weapons used in the crackdown on Tripoli are Chinese, via the serial number on each missile, aircraft or fragments found by the GNA.
The Libyan government is seeking diplomatic contacts with China and providing sufficient information on the sophisticated Chinese weapons found in Libya to pursue the UAE internationally for Haftar’s crimes.
Political analysts believe that China’s project in Africa is an economic project par excellence, and that Beijing will not take sides in the Libyan conflict.
Since the end of June, the international community, including the five major powers (the United States, France, Britain, Russia and China), has been demanding a halt to the war around the Libyan capital Tripoli.
The latest appeals were translated in a State Department statement last Friday, which was most apparent in calling on Haftar’s successor to stop his aggression against Tripoli. A simple census shows that there are 15 international objections to the military solution and the need to stop the war.
The UN envoy to Libya, Ghassan Salameh, in a briefing to members of the Security Council last Monday, that Haftar war on Tripoli caused the deaths of 200 civilians, revealing the presence of more than 135 thousand civilians in areas that are the front lines of the conflict.