The UAE’s Role in the Conflict in Libya

Libya has been a deeply unstable state since 2011. The extent of this instability was made clear earlier this month when the top United Nations official for Libya declared that the country is at a ‘decisive turning point’, with a significant risk it may descend ‘into new depths of fragmentation and chaos’. 

The highly volatile situation is exacerbated by states such as the United Arab Emirates (UAE), who continue to supply military equipment to warring factions in Libya, despite a UN arms embargo.  

What is happening in Libya?

Libya had predominantly been under the control of dictator Muammar Gaddafi until 2011 when the Arab Spring swept over Libya and NATO-backed rebels successfully removed and executed Gaddafi. The power vacuum left after the collapse of the regime culminated in the outbreak of the Libyan civil war in 2014, as various factions fought for control.

The chaos of the civil war has left Libya with two competing governments: the Government of National Accord (GNA) and the House of Representatives (HoR). The GNA is based in Tripoli and controls the East of the country, it is backed by the United Nations. The HoR is based in Tobruk and, backed by the UAE, it controls the West of Libya. The HoR is supported by and affiliated with the Libyan National Army, a military force led by warlord Khalifa Haftar. 

Haftar, a military official exiled under Gaddafi, has led a military campaign against the GNA. This culminated in a failed attempt to annex Tripoli earlier this year, an offensive which resulted in over 1,000 deaths. 

Amid the conflict’s rising number of casualties, it is estimated that 200,000 people have been internally displaced. 

What is going on with arms shipments?

Since 2011, a UN embargo has been in place forbidding member states to supply weapons to Libya. The rationale for this being that international arms shipments increase instability and help fuel conflict. 

There has, however, been limited adherence to the embargo. States, such as the UAE, have continued to send arms to various factions within Libya. A conference in Berlin earlier this year, at which the UAE was present, aimed to reassert member states' commitment to avoid interference in Libya, with limited success. 

What is the UAE doing?

The UAE government aims to avoid the development of a stable, democratic, state in Libya, which it fears could threaten its power at home and in the wider region. One of the chief ways the UAE is trying to ensure this is through the continued supply of arms to the Libyan National Army, fuelling the bloody civil war that has raged in Libya since 2014. 

According to a UN report the UAE has continued to export weapons to Libya in a way which is ‘extensive, blatant and with complete disregard to the sanctions measures’. With the UAE estimated to have dispatched some 150 flights containing military equipment to Libya, examples of embargo infringements are numerous. From EU patrols intercepting arms shipments in the Mediterranean, to companies in the UAE recruiting Sudanese men to fight in Haftar’s army and even some reports suggesting the presence of UAE military personnel in Libya. 

In January this year, furthermore, the UAE was directly implicated in a drone strike which killed 26 unarmed cadets in Tripoli.

The UAE government has declined to comment on findings from recent UN reports. The authorities seem set to continue their role in fuelling the conflict.