Libya’s ambassador to the United Nations, Taher el-Sonni urged on Saturday the EU and US to impose sanctions on Kremlin mercenaries, after members of the Wagner Group forced their way into El-Sharara oilfield to halt oil exports, according to Libya’s National Oil Corporation (NOC).
In a twitter post on Saturday, the Libyan Ambassador slammed Libya’s General Khalifa Haftar mercenaries, along with other groups, including Russia’s Wagner group and the Sudanese Janjaweed militia, for violating international resolutions.
“It is time for America and Europe to impose direct sanctions on these [groups] and freeze their assets and those who finance them, as any terrorist organisation,” el-Sonni said before adding that such penalties have been imposed even to “less dangerous individuals”.
Since @UN Sec council failed to sanction individuals/mercenaries as Wagner/Hafter & others,who violate all resol., US/EU shd take such actions & freez assets as any terrorist org. & hold who finance them accountable,we witnessed swift actions before on others with less threat https://t.co/b6zHdoCCtH
— Taher EL-Sonni طاهر السني (@TaherSonni) June 27, 2020
Similarly, Fathi Bashagha, Libya’s Interior Minister of the UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) said that the Russian presence in oil installations in Libya poses a threat to national, regional and international security, and undermines the interests of US and EU companies related to the oil sector in Libya, “which will be held hostage to an unprecedented Russian invasion”.
“We call on the European Union to include the Russian Wagner Company in the sanctions regulations and the sponsors of terrorism for the atrocities and crimes they have committed against humanity in Libya,” Bashagha added.
