A Canadian government investigator has uncovered a shocking allegation: China attempted to send $1 billion worth of drones to a Libyan warlord, General Khalifa Haftar, disguised as COVID-19 aid. This alleged scheme, facilitated by corrupt United Nations officials, has led to charges against two Libyan nationals.
Court documents reveal a conspiracy involving Chinese state officials, who allegedly sought to hide the $1 billion deal to provide 42 drones to Haftar. They allegedly used UN officials to label the arms shipments as humanitarian aid intended to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. The Canadian investigation, relying on FBI intercepts, uncovered alleged plots to sell Libyan oil to China and purchase drones between 2018 and 2021.
The investigator stated, “The Chinese government seems to have approved a strategy to aid Libya in the procurement and delivery of military equipment through designated and approved companies to obscure the direct involvement of government agencies.” In April, two Libyan nationals working in Canada at the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), a UN agency, were charged with conspiracy for their alleged role in the scheme. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for the spring.
The accusations, first reported by Defense News, stem from documents submitted in Montreal court to obtain warrants for the phones of the individuals involved. These documents claim that the alleged scheme was a deliberate attempt to bypass UN sanctions that were in effect at the time. Haftar, who received the drones, is a Russia-backed leader who controls eastern Libya. He unsuccessfully tried to seize control of western Libya in 2020. The investigator explained the aim of the drone shipment: “‘using war to end war quickly’ without attracting the attention of the international community.” The “fight against the Coronavirus” was allegedly used as cover.
One of the Libyan nationals involved, Fathi Ben Ahmed Mhaouek, was arrested, while the other, Mahmud Mohamed Elsuwaye Sayeh, remains at large. Court documents also implicate a US citizen, who has not been charged, in the alleged scheme. Mhaouek’s lawyer, Andrew Barbacki, stated that his client will plead not guilty and denies any wrongdoing.
Investigators discovered a May 2020 message from Sayeh to an official at the Chinese ministry of foreign affairs requesting a meeting in Egypt between the Chinese ambassador and Major General Aoun Al-Ferjani, a Libyan military official close to Haftar. The messages explicitly described the drones as “clearly described with weaponry, attack and lethal strike capabilities.” The investigation is still ongoing to determine if the deal ultimately went through or if negotiations failed.
In July, Italian authorities seized Chinese military drones that were bound for Benghazi, Libya, in violation of a UN embargo. This incident underscores the ongoing concern about arms trafficking and the potential for destabilizing actions in the region.
