The "Middle East Eye" newspaper reported that the arms supply route from Libya to the Rapid Support Forces in Sudan remains active, despite an intensive campaign by Egypt and Saudi Arabia against Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar to cut off this vital artery.
Previous investigations by the same newspaper revealed that Haftar is facing unprecedented pressure from his traditional allies in Cairo and Riyadh to close the arms supply channels, reaching the point of threatening a radical reassessment of Egypt's alliance with him.
"Middle East Eye" quoted a high-ranking Egyptian source as saying that Saddam Haftar, son of the Libyan leader and deputy commander of the so-called Libyan Arab Armed Forces, was "summoned" to the Egyptian capital at the beginning of this month, where he received a "harsh reprimand" and was informed of the need to stop support for the Rapid Support Forces "immediately and without any delay."
In contrast, informed Libyan sources directly involved in the matter reported that Saddam Haftar is simultaneously facing counter-pressure from the United Arab Emirates to continue facilitating the passage of shipments to Sudan through eastern Libyan territory. The sources indicated that Saddam "remains 'confused' between the two parties, although the flow is still ongoing."
The report interprets the pressure as a link in a "broader regional campaign led by Egypt and Saudi Arabia to choke the Rapid Support Forces' supply lines of weapons, fuel, and fighters, curb Emirati expansion in the region, and protect Egypt's southwestern borders from any new threats that may arise from the escalating instability at the Libya-Sudan-Egypt triangle."
A source familiar with Saddam Haftar's recent visit to Cairo commented: "The meeting was a final warning, delivered in a harsh and clear manner by the Egyptian intelligence services and the military leadership to Field Marshal Haftar through his son."
The newspaper claimed that Egyptian officials presented concrete evidence during the meeting, including intelligence photos and recordings, of the continued arrival of Emirati arms shipments, including drones and portable air defense systems, to the Rapid Support Forces camps. They also presented documents on regular fuel deliveries from the Libyan Sarir oil refinery to the forces of General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (Hemedti).
It is worth noting that the Egyptian position on the war in Sudan differs radically from its Libyan position. While Cairo firmly supports the Sudanese government and army led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, who have lost a series of vital positions to the Rapid Support Forces, most notably the city of El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, Egypt remains an old ally of Haftar in eastern Libya.
However, the latter simultaneously maintains a strategic alliance with the UAE, the primary patron and main financier of the Rapid Support Forces.
