Libya is now a battlefield with proven foreign interference, Italy is still seeking the political-diplomatic path. Luigi Di Maio is working to have the sending of an EU mission approved. He would have heard his German counterpart Mass and high-ranking EU representative Borrell by telephone. Both interlocutors agreed with the proposal of the head of the Farnesina. Borrell will therefore take care of advancing the proposal to the French minister Le Drian. Di Maio also wants to discuss, probably today, with the US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Hot declarations by Minister Di Maio show the Italian line in the controversial Libyan dossier"This EU mission is important for Italy to resume its leading role, but it is necessary to be realistic and involve all the interlocutors. For this reason he is frequently hearing Ankara, Cairo, and his Russian counterpart Lavrov. " About the Italian special envoy on the field: "I don't want our correspondent to start work with the conference in progress, let's set the date in Berlin and understand if there is any solution, we give a hand, but we also think about the role of Italy in Libya".
The interview with Fayez al Serraj
Corriere della Sera's envoy to Libya, Lorenzo Cremonesi, interviewed Fayez al Sarraj, while Haftar ships yesterday seized a Turkish ship.
So al Sarraj on the request for arms, rejected: "We had asked for arms from many countries, including Italy, which also has the right to choose the policy that best suits them and with which relations are still excellent. In truth, official responses never came from Rome. With Di Maio we had a rich exchange of opinions. As for his stop in Benghazi by our attacker and Tobruk I have not seen any substance, besides generic declarations of friendship that leave the time they find. Thus, the international community is divided. On the one hand, the countries willing to arm our adversary-aggressors. They are opposed to other countries, including Italy, which still believe in the formula whereby the only solution remains political dialogue. But keep in mind that here we are under military attack, with unspeakable suffering for the population victims of bombing, deaths, injuries, with hundreds of thousands of displaced people ".
Haftar also advances thanks to Russian soldiers. Tripoli militias show videos of Turkish tanks landed in Misurata. Will Putin and Erdogan ultimately dictate the rules of the game?
"It is a difficult scenario, made even more complex by foreign interventions. However, I do not believe that the whole question can only be resolved by the talks between Putin and Erdogan. It is a process characterized by continuous bilateral and multilateral contacts, in which there is no lack of voices from the United States, Germany engaged with the UN to prepare for the Berlin conference and other European partners. Our attacker has already failed. At the time of his sudden attack on April 4 he said he would take Tripoli within 48 hours. Nine months after the war continues. I am sure that we will prevail. In the end it will be decided who has the right to negotiate the future of Libya and who is the aggressor destined to be tried by the international court ".
Al Serraj on the concessions to Erdogan in the Mediterranean"First of all Libya and Turkey are two UN member countries, with legitimate, independent and sovereign governments. That memorandum is in our rights. I sincerely appreciate the good relations and cooperation that we have with Italy and I hope they will intensify. But we had no duty towards Rome. Negotiations have been taking place with Turkey since 2004. Anyone who has objections can appeal to international law and in case to arbitration by an international court. So, moreover, it has already happened for the disputes concerning the rights on the waters bordering our coasts with Cyprus and Malta. There has been arbitration and the disputes have been resolved peacefully. Instead, I find the Greek protests out of place and too shouted. They really believe that Libya is so weak? We do not accept pressure or manipulation".
Are you afraid of a pro-Haftar turning point in Italy?
"Di Maio failed to block military aggression against us. This would have been the only evidence of his success at the Benghazi talks. This does not mean that Italy has no right to communicate with anyone and invite him to Rome".
Berlin conference
Is the Berlin conference scheduled for the end of January a viable way? "We hope so. I spoke at length with the UN envoy, Ghassan Salame, and with the German Foreign Minister. We would like to hold a meeting in Berlin to block interference in Libya and then immediately afterwards organize direct dialogues between Libyans. But I don't know with what chance of success. The problem is that our attacker takes time, continues to talk about zero hour of the battle for Tripoli and believe in the military option. It bombards us, wastes huge resources, and builds nothing in the East".
External interference
There are the Russian mercenaries alongside General Khalifa Haftar while there is the Debka site which has already informed of the arrival of the Egyptian T-72 and APC tanks, ready to support the Strongman's Army of Cyrenaica. The Egyptian president Abdel-Fat-teh El-Sisi, who cannot bear the Turkish military presence in the area, wanted it directly.
Recep Tayyip Erdogan, meanwhile, has reiterated that he is ready to militarily support Tripoli with his naval, air and ground military support to the legitimate Libyan government if requested, he stressed, adding that by 2027 six new generation submarines will be deployed in the Mediterranean . Erdogan intervened after the incident off the coast of eastern Libya, where Haftar naval forces seized a Turkish crewed cargo ship. The general's naval forces then announced a state of maximum alert in anticipation of the likely dispatch of weapons and soldiers from Turkey under the agreement with the Tripoli government, branded as the "shameful" understanding. Meanwhile, Turkish military aid to the GNA would be deployed on the ground with 3.000 army "advisers" and a constant supply of weapon systems, including anti-tank missiles and drones. While the Haftar army is supported by Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Russia: the Egyptians supply intelligence, weapons and ammunition, the Russians thousands of mercenaries, some transferred from Syria to Libya, the Emirates a small squadron of six ISR Archangel aircraft manufactured in the United States. Although Russian mercenaries have been seen in action on the ground, Russia still does not express a clear position. Too many interests at stake between Moscow and Ankara. The Kremlin continues to call itself in favor of diplomatic mediation. Reason why these days, Erdogan and Putin, through their advisors, are feeling very often. The Turkish president would also have tried on several occasions to persuade Putin to join Serraj.