A lot of secret information has been leaked from the Samsung tablet of the abandoned fighter, what was life in Libya like during Gaddafi's rule?

Libya: Wagner's secret activities leaked by Russian private forces

Global New News Desk -

Libya: Wagner's secret activities leaked by Russian private forces. This group of Russian mercenaries is called Wagner group. One of their fighters left a Samsung tablet. Information from the tablet also reveals the group's many important roles in Libya and the code names that can be used to identify their fighters.

The BBC has also received a shopping list of sophisticated military equipment that the group was trying to procure. Experts say the equipment could only be provided by the Russian military. Russia has denied any involvement with the Wagner group.

Wagner's group was first identified in 2014 in Ukraine. There they were supporting pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine. Apart from this, they were also involved in various activities in Syria, Mozambique, Sudan and the Central African Republic.

Wagner's fighters were seen in Libya in April 1919. There they joined forces with Libyan rebel General Khalifa Haftar.

General Haftar's forces were then attacking the UN-backed government in the capital, Tripoli. The conflict ended with a ceasefire in October 2020.

Wagner's group operates in strict secrecy. However, the BBC was able to speak to two former fighters in the group. What kind of people join this group and there are no rules and regulations - they told the BBC.

A former fighter admitted that the group killed prisoners, no doubt about it. In his words, "Who wants to add an extra mouthful of food?"

The TV documentary, co-produced by the BBC's Arabic and Russian language divisions based on the findings, is titled "Haftar's Russian Mercenaries: Inside Wagner Group."

Their search also uncovered evidence of the group's suspected war crimes and intentional killing of civilians.

A man in a Libyan village recounted how he pretended to be dead when his relatives were being killed. Based on his testimony, the BBC team has been able to identify a suspected killer.

A Libyan government soldier has described another possible war crime. He said one of his comrades-in-arms and a friend surrendered to Wagner's group of fighters. But he was shot twice in the stomach. This soldier never saw his friend again. No trace of the three other soldiers taken at the same time was found.

According to information leaked from Samsung computer tablets, the mercenaries were also involved in planting landmines and killing traps in civilian areas in Libya.

Which leaked from the Samsung tablet In the spring of 2020, Wagner group fighters retreated from the southern Tripoli area. Then an unknown Wagner fighter dropped this Samsung tablet there.

This tablet contained some maps of the battlefield in Russian. This confirms that Wagner's group was well involved in the Libyan conflict. These maps also give us an idea of ​​what kind of activities they carried out there.

Many drone footage has also been found on the Samsung tablet. The code names of many Wagner warriors have been found. The BBC has been able to identify at least one fighter based on this code name. This tablet is now in a safe place.

A ten-page document dated January 19, 2012 came to the BBC. This is actually a complete list of military weapons and equipment. A Libyan intelligence source gave the list to the BBC. It was probably recovered from any area of ​​the Wagner group.

Who is funding this group's operations, who is supporting them - there are many clues in the document. It lists what tools are needed to 'achieve military goals'. Among them are tanks, hundreds of Kalashnikov rifles and sophisticated radar systems.

A military analyst told the BBC that some of the equipment could only be obtained from the Russian military. Another expert who has researched the activities of the Wagner Group says that looking at the list, it seems that Dmitry Utkin has something to do with it.

Dmitry Utkin is a former Russian intelligence officer. He is believed to be the founder of the Wagner Group. The Wagner Group is named after the "call sign" he had while working for Russian intelligence.

The BBC has tried to contact Dmitry Utkin, but has received no response.

Analyzing the list, experts say the use of the words "Evro police" and "director general" suggests that one of the richest people close to Russian President Vladimir Putin isBusinessman Yevgeny Prigozin has ties to the Wagner Group.

The US Treasury Department imposed a ban on Evro police in 2016. They said the Russian company was hired to guard some of Syria's oil fields. These oil fields were owned and controlled by Mr. In the hands of Prigogine.

Some Western journalists also joined Mr. Wagner's group in their search. Found the relationship of Prigogine. But he has always denied having any ties to Evro police and Wagner.

A spokesman for the BBC told the BBC that Evro police and Wagner had nothing to do with Yevgeny Prigogine. Mr Pregozhin commented that he had not heard of any Russian human rights abuses in Libya. "I'm sure it's a blatant lie."

Russia's foreign ministry told the BBC they were "trying to find a political solution to the crisis in Libya and to call for a ceasefire."

Russia's foreign ministry said in a statement that the allegations against Wagner were "fabricated" and "intended to undermine Russia's policy in Libya."

What is Wagner? What the former fighters said:

There is no such thing as an official Wagner. But at least 10,000 people have been contracted to work for Wagner at least once. The group was first seen fighting alongside pro-Russian separatists in northern Ukraine in 2014.

It is estimated that about 1,000 Wagner fighters fought for General Khalifa Haftar in Libya from 2019 to 2020.

In Russia, the BBC asked a former Wagner fighter how the group carried out its activities. He replied, "It is an organizational structure whose job is to work for the protection of Russia's interests outside Russia's borders."

He added that those who work as fighters at Wagner are either professional soldiers fighting, or people looking for work, or some 'romantic' people who want to serve the country.

Another former Wagner fighter told the BBC there was no clear "code of conduct" for working there. If a captured prisoner fails to provide such important information, or acts as a 'slave', the consequences will not be known. "

Andrei Chuprigin is an expert, working with the Russia International Council. He says the Russian government's position on the group is: "Let them get involved, and see what the consequences are. If it works well, we can use it to our advantage. And if it works badly. , Then we have nothing to do with it. "

Gaddafi's fall in 2011:

The more than four decades of Colonel Muammar Gaddafi's rule in Libya came to an end with the Arab Spring uprising. He tried to escape, but was caught and killed.

The country is divided:

After 2014, two main rival groups emerged, east and west of Libya.

Expedition to Tripoli in April 2019: General Haftar, the leader of the forces in the eastern part of Libya, marched on Tripoli with his forces. Tripoli was under the control of a UN-backed government. Both sides in the conflict have received military and diplomatic support from various regional powers, despite a UN arms embargo against Libya.

Ceasefire in October 2020: Then in early 2021 a new government of national unity was formed and sworn in. One of them is to be selected in December. Foreign troops and mercenaries are due to leave Libya, but thousands remain.

Like Syria, it started in Libya in 2011 through the Arab Spring

NATO-backed forces oust Libya's longtime leader Muammar Gaddafi. The country has been embroiled in civil war ever since.

His national unity government, based in the capital, Tripoli, aimed to unite the country. But not everyone agreed, and General Haftar himself wanted power. He formed the Libyan National Army, or LNA, based in the cities of Tabaruk and Benghazi. You can eliminate terrorism.

His forces have been advancing on Tripoli since April last year and were able to seize the important city of Sirte this month.

There are two administrations working in Libya

Libya's warring factions are backed by regional and international allies. The United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia say they want to stop Islamists in the region, and General Haftar has been able to win over both countries.

Jordan and the United Arab Emirates are providing arms and air support to the LNA, and a UN report has blamed the UAE's military support for killing civilians. Libya's eastern neighbor, Egypt, is also supporting General Haftar.

And Russia has finally gotten involved in trying to increase its influence in the region.Moscow has denied any involvement in the killings.

Crashing resources they have recently sent troops to support Prime Minister Sergei. Like Russia, Ankara wants to maintain influence and see itself in a strong position in the region. However, the Turkish government says it has sent troops to Tripoli for training and advice.

However, a source confirmed to the BBC that Turkish troops also include Ankara-based Syrian rebel fighters.

Jonathan Marcus's analysis:

In November, Ankara signed a maritime boundary agreement with the Tripoli authorities. Among them is Turkey's claim to an exclusive economic zone in the Eastern Mediterranean, which Libya claims.

Analysts say it is a counter-initiative by Israel, Egypt, Greece and Cyprus. These countries have formed the Eastern Mediterranean Gas Forum. Turkey's plans for Libya could create a major crisis in the region, as well as strain relations with Moscow, Washington and NATO allies.

Regional interests

Qatar still has conflicts with Gulf countries, including the United Arab Emirates. They are also on the side of the UN-backed government with their ally Turkey. There is also the presence of France. The country has been active in Libya since 2015 on both economic and security issues.

Officially, Paris has spoken out in favor of a UN-backed government, but the country is considering moving militarily towards General Haftar. However, French officials have never acknowledged support for General Haftar.

Italy has again criticized France for being too close to the Haftar administration. Libyan Prime Minister Fayez al-Seraj and General Khalifa Haftar

Italy and the United States have been trying to stop the influx of Libyan migrants from the Mediterranean since 2011. They are working against IS militants in the country's southwest.

Why is it so important?

The North African country has huge oil resources as well as natural gas. Libya serves as a gateway for African migrants to Europe. On the other hand, the rise of IS and other militant groups is not just a nightmare for neighboring countries. If the conflict continues, the crisis could spread beyond the country's borders.

What was life like in Libya, under Gaddafi?

In a bloodless coup, Libya was overthrown in September 1969 by Captain Muammar Gaddafi and several other young military officials. They overthrew the king and declared the country a republic.

In the next 42 years, Gaddafi became the dictator of Libya, cracking down on his opponents.

One of Gaddafi's opponents was Jabala Matar - who fled the country but eventually had to pay the ultimate price for opposing Gaddafi. His son Hisham Matar is now a renowned writer. The BBC's Luis Hidalgo talks to him about his upbringing in Gaddafi's Libya.

"In the first days after the revolution in Libya, the reaction of the people was positive," said Hisham Matar.

"My father was young and anti-monarchy at the time, so he respected and liked the king, but he was glad that Libya was going to be a republic. Of course, by republic he meant modernity, parliamentary democracy, and the rule of law."

Hisham's father was an army colonel

When news of the coup broke, he was working at the Libyan embassy in London. After he returned to the country, the new rulers arrested him and many other senior officers.

"But my father understood why this was being done. Because it was normal after the coup. They were released six months later."

"In the next two or three years, by 1972, it became clear to my father that the new rulers had no respect for human rights and the judiciary, especially those who criticized them."

That was the beginning of Muammar Gaddafi's dictatorship in Libya.

"They thought the moment was just like any other historical moment - so that the signs of the past were all visible."

"The experience of colonial rule in Libya was horrific. Where countless people have been killed, many have been executed publicly."

"Gaddafi's time - albeit in smaller numbers - was similarly public executions."

After his release from prison, Hisham's father was sent to work at the United Nations. The following year, Hisham was born in New York. They were there until 1983. After that Mr. The mother resigned and returned to Libya with her wife and two sons.

Why did he return to the country?

"In my mind, my father understood that this new regime was so bad that it was impossible to work for them. But they were not so bad then that they could not return to the country with their wives and sons."

"My father is LibbyYar loved life. He also had many reasons. We had a big joint family. The scenery was very beautiful. Our house was by the sea. "

"Back in the country, my father joined a completely different kind of business. He started his own business. Although he lived in Libya, he had nothing to do with the government."

But over the next 10 years, the situation in the country continued to deteriorate. Public executions began in the late 1970s.

Hisham was much younger then - but he remembers much of that time in Libya.

"All I can remember is this dictatorship's own characteristic - which I later realized."

"All dictatorships want to influence your personal life. The Gaddafi administration had a special focus and skill on this. So I realized how everything was going absolutely inside the house."

"Movies are closed, theaters are closed. Football is also closed for a long time. So it was a big problem for ordinary people to get together on the occasion of something."

"I remember when they banned musical instruments, trucks were loaded and sent to the army. Because Gaddafi suddenly announced that musical instruments are a way for foreign influence to influence Libya's pure culture."

"Most of the musical instruments that people played in those days were European. They were all gathered in an open space in the city, and set on fire. I remember that scene very vividly."

"I also remember once a truck was sent in the same way to pick up books from all the bookstores."

"Anything like that - which the dictator personally did not approve of - would have had its consequences."

One of Hisham's uncles - a trade union leader - was arrested. His interrogation was broadcast on TV.

The execution was also shown on TV. Of course, Hisham was not allowed to see it.

"But I remember very well that everyone around me saw it. And the adults used to talk about it in sign language."

"It was as if the whole nation was suffering from a mental illness."

Hisham said his mother was the first to decide that they should leave the country. That was in 1989.

Hisham's father was a successful businessman at the time, and he was not afraid to express his views. He was being watched. But her mother's biggest concern was with her two children - Hisham and her brother.

"Yeah, because it was a time when schools were being militarized. For example, in a week my brother's school uniform changed. The previous week he had a normal school uniform - the next week it became a military uniform. He was only 13-14 years old. Military training has begun. "

"At that time, there was a war going on in Libya with Chad and 16-17 year old boys were being sent to war. Seeing these incidents, the mother decided to leave the country."

After several attempts, Hisham and his brother finally left the country with their mother. It took a long time for her husband to leave the country.

"It took me about a year to leave my father's country. He fled Libya across the Chad border. He had to walk almost all the way."

From there he went to Egypt and met his wife and son. But in that one year, her appearance changed a lot, her hair turned almost white.

Hisham's family began living in Cairo. Despite being upset for the country, Hisham still remembers the joy of being able to play football outside the home for the first time.

At the same time, Hisham's father became politically active. He used the money he had saved to oppose Gaddafi's actions.

"It happened slowly. I think he saw Libya as a human being - in trouble and as if he had to rescue her."

"It's a complex thing. When a father is devoted to an ideal, no matter how much he loves his family, you will understand that he has a different life. There are other dissidents coming and going all the time. At least four or more people every day. He was eating and drinking at our house. If one day it was as if only a few of us in the family were eating together - that would be an unusual thing. "

Gaddafi made it clear that he would find anyone outside the country who opposed him. Hisham was talking about how they first sensed this danger.

"I can't remember a time when the danger wasn't in my head. It was understandable even a few days before we left Libya. Our phones were tapped. We were followed when we got back from school."

"After coming to Egypt, my father became one of Gaddafi's main opponents. My father was one of the most influential opponents of Gaddafi abroad in the 1980s."

There was a price to pay. Hisham's brother once escaped being abducted in Switzerland. His father kept a gun with Jabala's mother, sometimes checking the bottom of the car to see if a bomb had been planted.

"Yeah Al that sounds pretty crap to me, Looks like BT aint for me either. Looks like BT aint for me either. Looks like BT aint for me either. Looks like BT aint for me either.Used. "

"It's a joke of fate that my father used to feel safe when he was in Egypt. But in 1990, that country cheated and handed him over to Gaddafi's government."

In March 1990, Egyptian secret police raided their apartment in Cairo, and took Jabala Matar away. He has been missing since then. Hisham was then 20 and was studying in London.

"He was flown to Libya, and no trace of him has been found since then. Both Egypt and Libya say we don't know where he is. We've been like that ever since."

After that Mr. Get two pictures of Matar's family. It said Jabala Matar had been taken to the infamous Abu Salim prison in Tripoli. Nothing more was known after that.

"The letters that Mr. Mata wrote from prison were quite unusual. He described in detail what happened, how he was brought after his arrest. He wrote that he had been tortured. Don't drink. "

"He gave a detailed account of his imprisonment. Not only did he enjoy these descriptions, but he did not spare us from them. Again, he was sorry to hear that we were having trouble reading them."

"He told us not to suffer for them. He told us - we should not see his suffering as a tragedy. We should remember that he was lucky in one way - because he had the courage to stand up to them."

Hisham Matar and his family still do not know what happened to his father after writing those letters.

Hisham also met Gaddafi's son Saeed in an attempt to find him.

Gaddafi fell in 2011. Hisham then went to Libya to find his father.

He did not find her, but based on his experience, he wrote a book, The Return, which won him a Pulitzer Prize.