New UN documents revealed some of the secrets of support for retired Major General Khalifa Haftar of the Emirates and Russia, and details of a secret military mission to Western forces affiliated with UAE-based companies that were aimed at intercepting Turkish ships.

Three letters and reports completed by a United Nations expert team showed details of military support from the UAE and Russia to retired Libyan Major General Khalifa Hifter in seeking to control the entire Libyan soil and war against the internationally recognized government of national reconciliation, and support included carrying out a secret military mission, and providing political and media support , And operating an air bridge between the Emirates and eastern Libya to transport military aid to Haftar's forces.

The team of experts affiliated with the sanctions committee imposed on Libya at the United Nations revealed a secret mission carried out by Western forces affiliated with companies based in the Emirates to support the retired Major General Khalifa Hifter, and the German News Agency - which viewed the experts' report - reported that the mission involved at least twenty people, From Australia, France, Malta, South Africa, Britain and the United States.

The report explains that the mission of these forces was to stop the Turkish supply ships on their way to the Libyan capital, Tripoli, and adds that the mission included smuggling six helicopters from South Africa to Libya, and two military boats from Malta.

The report adds that the secret mission was aborted for unknown reasons only a few days after its launch. However, the American newspaper "New York Times" revealed that the reason for the withdrawal of Western mercenaries, who arrived in Libya last June, is the outbreak of a dispute between them and Khalifa Haftar over the quality of the helicopters that the mercenaries brought with them to help him.

Russian support
In a second report - seen by Al-Jazeera - the expert team of the Sanctions Committee revealed that the Russian side responded to most of Haftar's requests, by providing him with a political analysis of the situation, and providing recommendations to enhance his influence, especially in the media side.

The report also pointed out that Russia organized negotiations between Haftar on the one hand and Libyan parties - including Saif al-Islam al-Gaddafi - on the other hand, as well as providing military and technical support to Haftar that included maintenance of 536 military vehicles.

In contrast, the international report says that Haftar did not allow Russian experts to do any meaningful work or participate in key decision-making.

At a time when the report indicated that the UAE obtained economic projects from Haftar in Libya, such as the contract to manage the Benghazi port, and reconstruction projects in the city; He said that the Russian side did not get similar projects.

Flights and
in a third message - also viewed by Al Jazeera - the team of experts documented how the Emirates operate flights to Libya, and the measures they have taken to circumvent the arms embargo laws to Libya; The team of experts said that in mid-January last, it found regular flights from the Emirates towards the Libyan east, using planes mainly registered in Kazakhstan.

The team also added that some of these flights later made domestic flights between airports in eastern Libya, using flights from airlines such as Kazakhstan.

The international team confirmed the existence of a hidden air bridge planned for operation between the United Arab Emirates and Libya, believed to have crossed the area of ​​Sidi Barani, an Egyptian coastal city near the border with Libya, and the airports in eastern Libya controlled by Haftar forces.

The experts report says that any future designation of airlines that violate the sanctions will lead to the disruption of airline activities in the short term, as new companies will be formed and the aircraft will be transferred to the new companies within weeks.

The Panel of Experts confirmed that it would continue to investigate to identify the beneficiaries of the companies and aircraft in question, so that naming the owners would be a more effective deterrent.

Periodic report
Al-Jazeera correspondent in Washington, Murad Hashem, said that the messages mentioned will be in the periodic report of the sanctions committee for Libya, which will be discussed within the committee composed of members of the Security Council, in preparation for approval after consultations and amendments.

The correspondent added that the messages are getting closer to putting information on the information indicating the emirate’s clear role in supporting Haftar in Libya, including the hidden and organized air bridge between the Emirates and the airports in eastern Libya by flying from Kazakhstan in 2020, via a newly established company that appears to circumvent .

Murad Hashem indicated that Ukrainian airlines were using in 2019 to transfer military support and assistance from the Emirates to Haftar, before these flights were banned after the intervention of the Ukrainian authorities.

It is noteworthy that, since April of last year, Haftar launched an attack to seize Tripoli, the headquarters of the Al-Wefaq government, but his campaign suffered a setback in the past weeks, after the Accord Forces achieved steady military progress, which led to the loss of Haftar forces most of its strongholds in the Libyan West.