Libya’s Future Hinges on a Proxy Standoff in Qaddafi’s Home Town

Sirte is a ‘red line,’ Egypt warns Turkey-backed Libyan forces
Haftar’s backers grow frustrated after siege of Tripoli fails

Libyan Army members prepare on the front line outside Sirte, Libya, on June 14, 2020.Photographer: Enes Canli/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

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By Tarek El-Tablawy and Mohammed Abdusamee

June 24, 2020 at 4:00 AM UTC

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The dusty Mediterranean town where former Libyan dictator Moammar Qaddafi was born and died seems an unlikely place for a military standoff between Russia, Turkey and Egypt. But Sirte is also the gateway to the largest oil reserves in Africa.

The front lines were calm Tuesday around the city, located on the Mediterranean coast midway between Tripoli and Benghazi. Rebel commander Khalifa Haftar controls it now, but forces loyal to internationally recognized Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj are preparing to take it back, building on momentum after rebuffing a 14-month siege of the capital.