ROME (AP) — On the defensive after a deadly migrant boat shipwreck near an Italian beach, Italy’s right-wing government is contending that Russian mercenaries in Libya are behind an uptick in migrant arrivals in alleged retaliation for Western support for Ukraine. For years, fighting among rival Libyan militias has left the country a largely lawless land where traffickers and smugglers can thrive. “The surge in migrant departures from eastern Libya over the past year is overseen by the Haftar clan” — a reference to Khalifa Hifter, a powerful Libyan mililtary commander. Wagner mercenaries have been aiding Hifter forces and are centered mainly in central and eastern Libya. We have our own business to deal with,” an apparent reference to Wagner fighters’ role in Russia’s offensive in Ukraine.

Source: Libya Today March 14, 2023 23:48 UTC