But the incident was serious enough to be reported to British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s office, one of the officials familiar with the matter said. The U.K.’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office declined to comment on the incident.
Foreign powers, particularly Turkey and Russia, are deepening their influence in the fractured North African country, which remains split between rival administrations in the west and east. Street violence is increasing as Tripoli-backed militias clash with gangs favored by the Russia-supported government in the country’s east, which is gaining influence.
It’s not clear what motivated the gunman who shot at British staff. According to one of the officials, who were both granted anonymity to speak candidly, the attack on the British convoy was carried out by a member of the General Service Apparatus militia, which is backed by the government in Tripoli.
Nevertheless, the British ultimately judged it to be an incident of road rage, according to one of the officials. The U.K. government recognizes the administration in Tripoli and has a generally good relationship with its leadership, so it’s unlikely one of its affiliated militias would attack the country’s diplomatic corps. Tripoli authorities also took pains to investigate the matter, the official added.
Russia-aligned warlord
Against this backdrop, a visit by U.K. Foreign Office officials to Benghazi had been planned for July 15 to meet key players in the country, including General Khalifa Haftar, the Russia-aligned warlord who controls eastern Libya.
The trip went ahead, but was limited after Haftar made a meeting with representatives of the unrecognized Benghazi-based government a condition for his participation. Instead, the U.K. delegation, led by British Middle East Minister Hamish Falconer, opted to limit its visit to Tripoli, arriving in the western capital on Monday.
