The Fezzan region of Libya, Migration, & France

Libya’s southwest region is called the Fezzan and borders Algeria, Chad, and Niger. In 2016, 160,000 migrants passed into the Fezzan region and onto boats bound for Europe and the first half of 2017, 80,000 had traversed this terrain. Borders between the first two aforementioned nations remain severed, yet trafficking flows through a small sliver of land along the border of Niger. Along the Libya’s southwest border with Niger, most drug trafficking occurs in the western corridor through Salvador Pass yet human trafficking crosses into Toummo, Libya, just east of the pass.

(Feel free to consult the provided maps at the bottom of the page to help assist with the geography)

The Fezzan region is fraught with challenges

Economy

The feeble economy within the Fezzan region feeds into the robust human trafficking trade. While economic opportunities remain sparse, existing options for locals remain even more diminutive. Agricultural projects and subsidies are embroiled in bureaucratic delays. Oil production, around 400,000 barrels per day, is employed mainly by foreign workers. (Even gold production has resulted in the importation of experienced Sudanese workers.) Local security forces can earn a paltry $10/day while traffickers can earn thousands working as an independent human-trafficking contractor. Legitimate ventures remain scant while human trafficking is remains one of the few viable alternatives and prevails as a lucrative business within the Fezzan region.

Tribal Components

Upon entry into Libya, the central town of Sebha has apparently become the human trafficker hub. Some migrants end up moving across the Mediterranean, whereas others are sold as slaves. Several tribes control the routes and territories leading south to north on the western edge so many are complicit in this unsavory trade. Tribal communities pose a dilemma for any sustained, constructive improvements.

Shifting alliances, internal tribal divisions, and use as proxies by international players have inimically affected tribal solidarity within the region.  Tensions recently flared in the pivotal city of Sebha as two main tribes inflicted damage on the other. Mistrust poses a perplexing element and detrimental to state buildup and cohesion.

Though, one organization has inserted itself to generate constructive inclusiveness in the cultivation of peaceful existence among a myriad of conflicting parties.

UNSMIL - Role & Contribution

The United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) was initially designated to facilitate the political integration of Libya in the post-Qaddhafi, post-civil war era, to extend state authority throughout the nation of Libya, guide politically inclusive dialogue among various factions vying for power, and rebuild institutions for the citizens of Libya. Their mandate has since expanded to sustain delivery of humanitarian assistance, observe and report human rights conditions, and work alongside existing Libyan institutions to procure illegitimate weapons. 

In December 2017, UNSMIL’s envoy Ghassam Salame has stated that the contingent will expand into the Fezzan region in 2018.

A few days later, a positive undertaking guided by UNSMIL buttressed the aspired rapprochement in the south. After six years of internal failed initiatives, tribal leaders and community members from the Fezzan region assembled in Tunis, Tunisia. They admitted that the Fezzan region remains a critical linchpin in the political progress within Libya and brokered an agreement to coexist peacefully. Their eventual hope is to prove to be a model for further reconciliation nationwide.

Relations with France

Currently, Libya has several aspiring authorities vying for ultimate control and authority over the nation of Libya. The two main governments emanating from the chaos left over from the civil war operate from two distinct regions. The United Nations-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) is based in the capital Tripoli, while General Khalifa Hafter’s Libyan National Army (LNA) is located in the eastern port city of Benghazi.

France has generally supported General Hafter’s LNA in the past, assisting his efforts by deploying advisers and special forces to areas nominally under the general’s control.  Despite these efforts, he has been prodded by the UN-backed GNA headed by Prime Minister Faiez Serraj to help bring stability. In July, Paris hosted both Serraj and Haftar, resulting in assurances to hold a national election as well an accompanying cease-fire.

In December, Serraj went further in his efforts to gain French backing, procuring statements from France to help secure the southern border. Their joint statement included notions of cooperation and coordination of traffickers and smugglers within and without of Libya, volunteer repatriation, and to “persuade immigrant countries of origin to receive their citizens and find a solution to the problem in a comprehensive manner." French President Emmanuel Macron has gone so far as to permit the use of military action against human trafficking networks to sever slave trading.

Niger, France, and Other Elements

Migration

As migration is becoming more and more of a volatile issue within Europe, more and more migrants embark into the dangerous journey to secure a better future for themselves and their families. Whereas Italy is working with the Libyan Coast Guard on the Mediterranean Sea, France is stationed inland and can more effectively stem the tide.

The International Organization for Migration has established an information depot in Agadez, Niger, to advise migrants on their situations and potential plight as they journey onward. While Agadez is located in the southwest of Niger, France has stationed an indispensable office closer to the Libyan border in the central Niger city of Niamey. Here, officials consult with migrants and potentially offer them permanence within the European nation; priority however has gone to migrants from Somalia and Eritrea. Upon denial, they are counseled to avoid the precarious journey through Libya. In December, France exhibited a willingness to take in 25 African migrants rescued by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees within Libya, but this is not a sustainable approach as more and more ply into Libya, despite the peril.

Military elements

The road leading into Toummo, Libya is connected to a village in Niger, Madama. In November 2014, the French military started building a base here to fight terrorism and the following March, 200 French troops were stationed there to obstruct human trafficking routes. The base serves to carry out France’s Operation Barkhane mission but could also serve to upend existing human trafficking routes. In addition, the United States military is building a drone base outside of Agadez.

By utilizing these military bases, should France more effectively and actively monitor the routes using drones, intelligence, and man-power? Does France have a responsibility to intervene due to its’ proximity? Should they thwart any human-trafficking efforts that would otherwise traverse into this precarious terrain?                                                        
Furthermore, does France also have an obligation to support legitimate income-driven initiatives to restore stability to the citizenry of Libya?

Moving forward

As Libya rebuilds itself as a nation, the economic situation remains dire as prevailing forces seek dominance in their respected region. The authorities need to find a way to help its’ citizens thrive without resorting to illegitimate means.

The furnishing of arms by international players merely serves one segregated and isolated segment of society. Instead of helping, this detracts from any positive movement towards coexistence in the post-Qaddafi era.

The critical juncture within the nation’s history is unfolding. The two main Libyan governments are attempting to co-exist or at least willing to reconcile their differences; tribes within the Fezzan region are willing to resolve their disparities as they seek a peaceful coexistence, though they need guidance and an outlet to voice grievances without resorting to violence.

Genuine involvement is needed not only to restore this nation, but also to help it constructively thrive in its’ embraced diversity. Libya has the resources to flourish and play an integral part within the world. The situation is ripe for a cohesiveness to transpire so that Libya can prove to be a model for disparate communities, post-war nations to come together with a unifying voice as they progress into a new and improved future. The international community should not let this opportunity pass by.