The procession left Benghazi, on Thursday, was a military parade affiliated with Daesh, according to libyaprospect.com.
The convoy reached beyond the Al-Baydan area, on the outskirts of Ajdabiya, the same way Daesh left Al-Fatayeh area after its defeat in Derna until it arrived at Sirte.
Despite distance the from Derna to Sirte, there was no response from the army affiliated with the House of Representatives (HoR) and General Khalifa Haftar, but then the Petroleum Facilities Guards clashed with the convoy around 54 km south of Brega. Haftar fighter jets overlooked Daesh movements, and the public also disregarded the incident under false pretences at the time.
That withdrawal is surprising; no one can ever believe the circulated narration describing that play. According to observers, the same situation repeated in Benghazi, on Thursday morning, which resembles Daesh withdrawal from Derna. The same happened before. The same events occurred. While axes are positioned along the way, with other security and military cordons, according to statements by the spokesperson of Haftar forces.
Despite a bunch of regional jets positioned in Benena airbase and foreign jets in Al-Kharoba base, terrorist elements infiltrated through the area. Some fabricated pictures posted via social websites supporting Haftar for Al-Kufra events against the Sudanese Justice and Equality Movement, the photos falsely showed Daesh fighters bodies in the outskirts of Benghazi, however, those same pictures were depictions of events in Iraq, mainly due to the surrounding environment was no that of Benghazi.
Daesh’s retreat from Benghazi raised concerns for neighbouring countries, especially Chad that closed its borders with Libya and aims deploy military troops preparing for any terrorist groups who may want to cross the border. Also, the regional and international fears of new civil war in southern Libya that will further complicate the crisis. The oil ports are threatened with a new war, as well as southern water resources. Furthermore, Haftar’s jets shelling on a civilian plane from Misrata complicated the situation; it might pave the way for a new war that allows Daesh remnants to regroup.
Southern notables and elders fear of new confrontations; they expect the same situation that happened in Barqa about three years ago but with more deaths, destruction, social fabric disintegration, increased vengeance culture and what accompanied of other negative phenomena like abductions and secret prisons.
Fezzan elders reached a deal to hand over Guwaira gate to the police from Bawanees in the southern Libya, given the nature and orientations of both vying parties either Haftar army or the opposing Third Force.
It is worth mentioning that there is a brigade run by the military commander General Bin Nayel called Brigade 12, Bin Nayel is affiliated with Haftar’s forces. Based on the issues discussed above, one can raise the following questions: what are the components of Bin Nayel’s army? Why have they not participated in the war against Daesh despite their position near Derna? Why it was formed after the liberation of Derna, Nufalya, and Sirte? What is the geographical basis it intends to control?
It is evident that Fezzan’s elders and mayors have no clear answers for such questions, especially that they always use the term “vying parties”.
