The Institute for International Political Studies (ISPI), the oldest group of experts in Italy specializing in international affairs, has published a series of articles on "What awaits us in 2019?" WHERE which the Institute offers ten forecasts for the year 2019. The Lybian Address Journal reports it.
An article, written by ISPI members Federica Saini Fasanotti and Arturo Varvelli, is entitled “The year of Haftar”.
In the article, the writers analyze the rise of Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, commander general of the Libyan National Army (LNA), calling her a key figure in Libyan and international scenes and her role in influencing the country's political future.
"Khalifa Belqasim Haftar, a high-level military man with deep political ambitions, represents Libya today and its controversial nature in many ways."
Since the 2011 Libyan uprising, "the name of Haftar, increasingly linked to the fate of Cyrenaica ... has been able to withstand civil wars, tribal conflicts and international pressure".
"Day after day he managed to overcome the clutches of the tribes of Cyrenaica and attract the interest and support of foreign powers of a certain caliber, such as Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Russia".
“His voice has been increasingly heard, even in Europe, as the case of Italy demonstrates, deaf to his initial requests and now after the Palermo summit a first-level interlocutor“.
The articles also claimed that Field Marshal Haftar's influence did overcome political difficulties due to his influence on the territory.
“Haftar has not only gained space on a political level, but increasingly also on a territorial level. Militarily it did not give up its grip on the Libyan desert, reaching some strongholds in the Fezzan, at the gates of Tripolitania. "
The article further states that Field Marshal Haftar has been able to accomplish what no one has achieved in Libya in the past eight years by fighting terrorism alone.
"Haftar has managed to achieve what no one in the last eight years in Tripolitania and Fezzan has managed to do: unify - even if militarily - a vast and heterogeneous territory"
The articles concluded by predicting that if Field Marshal Haftar wins Libyan elections next year, he "could boast clear leadership" in the country and help bring him out of the chaos.
“If a majority emerged from the next elections, near Haftar, the game would be done. The general could boast a clear leadership role supported by a renewed international legitimacy “.