Between crisis and strategy: the Libya conundrum

As an island nation, Malta’s security and defence posture has, throughout the years, been intrinsically linked to developments in Europe, North Africa and the Middle East, three geopolitically distinct areas at present experiencing varying degrees of turmoil. 

Post-independence, Malta’s security and defence posture has also been profoundly affected by events emanating from or unfolding in Libya. From issues of migration and terrorism, to political conflicts and crises, Libya has, over the decades, impacted Malta’s security and defence focus, presenting serious challenges that required specific responses.  

The most significant of these events included aircraft hijackings, the Medina Bank incident, the Lockerbie bombing, migration flows and the crisis surrounding the Libyan Civil War of 2011 and its aftermath.

In 1980, Malta was directly impacted by a Libyan threat to use military force when the SAPIEM 2, an Italian oil rig contracted by the Mintoff government to search for oil, was threatened by a Libyan gunboat while conducting drilling operations in the Medina Bank.

Libya, claiming territorial rights over the area, demanded that the rig immediately cease its oil-drilling activities.

The incident led to heightened tensions between Malta, Libya and Italy, with this stand-off underscoring Malta’s lack of military capabilities at a time when the country even had a Libyan military mission stationed on the island.

Another key moment that tied Malta’s security directly to Libya was the infamous Lockerbie incident in 1988. The downing of Pan Am Flight 103, which resulted in the deaths of 270 civilians, shocked the world and implicated Libya in this act of terror.

This tragic event set in motion a series of diplomatic tensions as Malta was allegedly used by Libya as a transshipment point for the placing of the bomb that downed the aircraft.

In the aftermath, Malta found itself caught in the geopolitical and diplomatic fallout, which included sanctions against Libya, pressure from the international community and heightened national security concerns.

Over the years, Libya also became a key departure point for migrants attempting to cross the Mediterranean to reach European shores. Consequently, Malta had to adhere to its international legal obligations to provide humanitarian assistance and to save lives at sea, while addressing national security concerns such as the potential for radicalisation or the infiltration of extremist elements utilising the same migratory routes. Migration was also exploited by Muammar Gaddafi as a political tool during the Libya crises.

Putin identified Libya as the new ‘home’ in the Mediterranean- David Attard

The Libyan Civil War in 2011 brought to the forefront Malta’s pivotal role in central Mediterranean security. Throughout the international intervention in support of the Arab Spring, Malta became a safe haven for the Non-Combatant Evacuation Operation involving thousands of expats living in Libya as well as displaced Libyan nationals and refugees fleeing the conflict. Malta’s proximity to Libya made it an ideal logistical hub for both humanitarian efforts and security and defence missions. 

However, the crisis also created serious challenges to our national security as the country dealt with the defection of the two Libyan Air Force Mirages to Malta as well as various other incidents involving spillovers of cross-border militant activity.

The instability in Libya following the removal of Gaddafi also led to a vacuum of power, which allowed extremist groups such as ISIS and Al-Qaeda to establish a foothold in Libya, thus posing a potential threat to Malta. 

Fast-forward to today and Libya still sits on Africa’s largest oil reserves, making it a rich prize for regional and global powers. Russia, for example, continues to provide mercenaries, equipment and fighter aircraft parts for Khalifa Haftar, commander of the forces of Libya’s Eastern government which, since 2014, has fought a civil war with the rival Western government in Tripoli, itself armed by Turkey.

Although a UN-brokered ceasefire ended the fighting, the two sides remain at loggerheads with each other in a divided country.  And this situation may deteriorate at short notice. 

To complicate matters further, Vladimir Putin identified Libya as the new ‘home’ in the Mediterranean following the recent loss of military and naval bases in Syria. Today, Libya is the only transit hub available to supply Russian mercenary units deployed on the African continent. 

The increasing Russian presence in Libya set off alarm bells in Italy, with its defence minister making statements to that effect. Russian oil giant Rosneft also has a deal to buy and re-sell Libyan oil within a context where European countries such as Germany, Romania and Austria have a growing dependence on Libyan crude.

Libya’s influence on Malta’s security and defence posture cannot therefore be overstated. Libya has been a constant factor along the years in shaping Malta’s defence and security strategy. As an island nation at the crossroads of Europe, Africa and the Middle East, Malta’s security will remain intrinsically linked to the happenings in Europe (including on the outcome of the war between Russia and Ukraine) and the developments in Libya.

Any agreement between Donald Trump and Putin on the Ukraine war and the scope of Russia’s influence in the Middle East will have significant repercussions for Libya, shaping this country’s political landscape for years to come.

Southern Europe was always considered as Europe’s ‘soft underbelly’ and this places Malta in a challenging situation, requiring the government to balance our neutrality, national interests and humanitarian responsibility with real and proper investment in capability-building in favour of national security and defence.    

Colonel David Attard is a former deputy commander of the Armed Forces of Malta and a graduate of the Joint Services, Advanced Command & Staff College, UK.