Erik Prince, the former chief of security contractor Blackwater, sent weapons to a Libyan militia leader in violation of the United Nations armed embargo.
A confidential UN report sent to the Security Council and obtained by The New York Times shows that Prince sent foreign mercenaries with weapons such as attack planes and rowing to eastern Libya in 2019 to support Khalifa Haftar, the commander who is fighting to replace international ones – acknowledged the Libyan government.
The mercenaries involved in the plot also allegedly planned to assassinate specific Libyan commanders.
The report adds to Blackwater’s infamy, which drew international criticism in 2007, when his contractors killed 17 civilians in Iraq. Prince, former Navy SEAL and brother of the former secretary of education Betsy DeVos
Betsy DeVosBiden faces left-wing reaction to student loans When Randi Weingarten echoes Betsy Devos Schumer, Warren introduces a bill asking Biden to eliminate student loan debt, mainly sends its resources to Africa, including many of its resource-rich but poor nations. He was also one of the former President Trump
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Prince did not cooperate with the UN investigation, but the accusation that he violated the arms embargo around Haftar leaves him open to possible sanctions.
The report details Prince’s involvement in the ongoing struggle in Libya. The war pits Haftar, a former CIA activist who has become a powerful insurgent, against the internationally backed government in Tripoli.
The government was supported after the Arab Spring uprising that killed Muammar Qaddafi and threw the nation into anarchy.
Prince made an offer to help Haftar shortly after the rebel leader’s fierce campaign to take Tripoli began. Trump expressed support for Haftar a few days after the meeting between the Prince and the commander.
While the mercenary operation to Libya quickly disintegrated following a dispute between Haftar and troops, some resources, including a cyber warfare team and several attack aircraft, remained with the departure of the mercenaries.
The US mission to the UN, which is a member of the Security Council, did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Hill.
Prince last faced charges of violating international law in 2012, when he was also charged with violating an arms embargo on arms shipments to Somalia.