How did the conflict in Libya become a proxy war?

Writer Samer Al-Atrash says in an article published by the American Bloomberg website that the attack of retired Major General Khalifa Haftar's forces on the Libyan capital, Tripoli, has accelerated the pace of foreign interference in Libya.

The writer singled out Russia and other countries in the neighborhood, and said that they are all trying to shape the future of this oil country, noting how the conflict in Libya has turned into a proxy war.

The writer adds that this oil-rich North African country has been in turmoil since the 2011 NATO-backed insurgency in the country that ended 42 years of rule by powerful man Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi.

Al-Atrash asks who is competing for power in Libya, and he says that Prime Minister of the reconciliation government, Fayez al-Sarraj, came to power through a political agreement supported by the United Nations in 2015, but a competing government was formed in eastern Libya and became in line with Haftar.

Hifter's fist
The article adds that Haftar's grip gradually extended to the east and south of the country, which enabled him to control most Libyan oil fields and stations before his forces moved in to attack Tripoli.

The author questions the current state of the conflict in Libya, and says that the battle lines have not changed much since the first day of the fighting.

However, he adds that the forces loyal to the recognized government have achieved many successes, with the support of Turkish drones, including the restoration of the city of Gharyan, the Hafter front base during the past summer.

He adds that these forces have since fought to conserve the land with hundreds of Russian mercenaries reaching the front lines to support Haftar, providing expertise in the field of artillery and ground combat honed in Syria and Ukraine.

Haftar forces, backed by Sudanese mercenaries and Emirates aircraft, are also trying to penetrate defensive lines on the outskirts of Tripoli.

Hifter and battle
Why does Haftar launch the battle? He says that Haftar has been pledging for years to seize Tripoli, after a failed coup attempt in 2014 forced him to establish a base in the east of the country. He adds that the United Nations, the United States and other powers were hoping to avoid the Tripoli attack, by negotiating a political agreement between the two parties.

The writer talked about more details in this context, and about the parties that support the two parties at the local level, and asked about how the countries of the region choose to line up with one side and how Russia and the United States intervene, and he indicated that the fighting in Tripoli may affect oil production.

He asked: What are the prospects for peace in the country? He said Germany hoped to host a conference in January that would bring together countries that intervene in Libya.

He explained that Germany would like these countries to agree to respect the current United Nations embargo on arms transfers to Libya, and to formulate a political decision that Libyan opponents could agree to.

The author concludes that the skeptics argue that foreign powers are not yet ready to stop interfering in Libyan affairs.