UAE investigated by UN for violating arms embargo in Libya to support Haftar

BY Libyan Express Apr 21, 2020 - 11:47

Khalifa Haftar and Bin Zayed in Abu Dhabi. [Photo: Social Media]

Over 11,000 tonnes of jet fuel has been shipped by UAE-based companies to eastern Libya, in suspected violation of an international arms embargo, according to documents seen by the Financial Times.

The shipment – worth as much as $5m – was delivered last month to the city of Benghazi, which is a stronghold of military commander Khalifa Haftar, the FT reported on Monday.

The FT said the shipment was currently under investigation by a UN panel of experts.

The paper quoted Stephanie Williams, the acting UN envoy to Libya, as saying in the UN’s judgement jet fuel qualified as “combat supplies” and that therefore it would be a violation of an arms embargo placed on the country.

The documents stated that the fuel in the shipments was supplied by Afrifin Logistics FZE, based in the Sharjah emirate. It was loaded on to MT Gulf Petroleum 4, a Liberian-flagged tanker operated by Gulf Shipping Services FZC.

The fuel was offloaded at Benghazi on 16 March, a period when Haftar intensified air strikes and missile attacks on the Libyan capital.

The FT said it was unable to get a response from either the UAE or the companies named in the documents.

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