In the west the Tripoli government controls virtually all the region and has all the oil income; in the east the HoR and the government it appointed in last March to replace Dubaiba's government has been desperately trying to convince everyone that they are in charge although they have no money and Gen Khalifa Haftar remains the real power of the area...

That parliament has worked with the rogue General Khalifa Haftar in his attempts to overthrow the UN-recognised government of national unity in Tripoli...

In the worst violence since Gen Khalifa Haftar's 14-month siege of the capital ended in June 2020 159 militiamen were also wounded as fighters fired their weapons indiscriminately at security and civil targets alike hitting medical facilities homes and shops...

The Tripoli prime minister is said to have done a deal with the United Arab Emirates one of the main suppliers and financiers of Libyan National Army (LNA) militia leader Gen Khalifa Haftar putting Bengdara in charge of the NOC in the hope of weaning the general away from the eastern-based prime minister Fathi Bashagha...

He has been temporarily replaced by the local government minister Badradeen al Tumi but in the present twists and turns Dubaiba may opt for a Khalifa Haftar supporter as his full-time replacement...

Many fear he is escalating conflict by recruiting his Arab Rizeigat kinsmen into the RSF and acquiring sophisticated military hardware from Libya through the offices of Gen Khalifa Haftar...

It's a predicament for the eastern banks too which lent hundreds of millions to the 'parallel CBL' to fund the last eastern-based government and General Khalifa Haftar's Libyan National Army (LNA) militia...

Bashagha once the interior minister of the Tripoli-based Government of National Accord (GNA) is backed by the eastern-based General Khalifa Haftar which is why his government can't move into the capital Tripoli and take over the levers of power...

The Tripoli government supports the west on the conflict while the rival Fathi Bashagha administration is linked via General Khalifa Haftar to the Kremlin...

In Libya Wagner trained many of General Khalifa Haftar's fighters at the Jufra air base including Chadian and Sudanese rebels but Haftar failed militarily and could not conquer Tripoli (AC Vol 61 No 12 Haftar falls back)...

Also three of the most prominent presidential candidates – warlord General Khalifa Haftar current Prime Minister Abdel Hamid Dubaiba and Seif el Islam el Gadaffi son of the former dictator – are unacceptable to too many people with the means to prevent the polls (AC Vol 62 No 24 Everyone wants to be president)...