Allegations against Saddam Haftar, son of Libyan warlord Khalifa Haftar, have strained efforts to unify Libya's divided government. Accusations that he orchestrated drone attacks on fuel facilities in western Libya have complicated cooperation with the Tripoli-based Government of National Unity (GNU).
The drone strikes in August targeted the Zawiya oil station, causing significant damage and exacerbating electricity shortages in the west. This has intensified public pressure on the GNU, led by Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah, to reconsider its stance on collaboration with the eastern forces led by the Haftar family.
Libya has remained split since the 2011 fall of Col Muammar Gaddafi, with the east under Haftar's control and the west governed by the GNU. The country has been plagued by corruption, militia activity, and external interference. A US-backed plan, spearheaded by Donald Trump’s Africa adviser Massad Boulos, aimed to merge the two governments by appointing Haftar as president and a member of the Dbeibah family as prime minister.
Boulos has downplayed concerns that the plan would entrench family elites, stating, “It’s not about families or names.” However, the recent attacks have cast doubt on the feasibility of this merger, as tensions between the factions escalate.
The drone attacks, reportedly driven by Haftar's frustration with Dbeibah's perceived delays in the merger plan, also involved alleged encouragement from Tripoli for southern tribes to attack Haftar's forces. Over five days in August, drones struck the Zawiya oil complex, igniting a fire and collapsing a gasoline-storage tank containing 4.5 million liters of fuel.
In connection with these attacks, the GNU arrested three Libyans and one Spanish citizen in southern Tripoli. The group, allegedly including five Spaniards and four Libyans, was accused of planning further attacks, including one on Tripoli airport. The arrested Libyans were reportedly linked to the Tareq ben Ziyad brigade, an LNA faction.
Information from interviews about the plot and Saddam Haftar's involvement has been described as a potential turning point, with the capacity to weaken Khalifa Haftar's influence. GNU sources indicated that working with Saddam Haftar is now considered highly challenging, given the revelations.
The allegations not only jeopardize Saddam Haftar's role in the Boulos plan but also threaten the UN-sponsored 4+4 talks. These discussions, involving Libya's main political institutions, had led to an agreement in August to hold elections within two years, a deal endorsed by the UN Security Council.
Walid Ellafi, the GNU's minister for state for political affairs, emphasized the importance of the 4+4 process as a UN-backed framework for achieving elections and political legitimacy. He criticized any political settlement that overlooks past grievances, such as the displacement of 9,000 families in Benghazi during the 2014 war.
The unfolding situation may also intensify a power struggle among Khalifa Haftar's sons. Saddam, seen as his father's likely successor, has the most resources and enjoys UAE support. However, his brothers, Khaled and Belqasim, who are more aligned with Egypt, have begun to challenge his dominance.
