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444th Combat Brigade Commander Hamza celebrates defeat of SSA militia's corrupt ‘‘empire''

444th Combat Brigade Commander Hamza celebrates defeat of SSA militia's corrupt ‘‘empire''

Libya Herald21-05-2025

‎Speaking to the Operations Officers of the Libyan Army, Commander of the 444th Combat Brigade (and head of Military Intelligence), Mahmoud Hamza, ‎congratulated his officers on their unique and unparalleled victory that he said they should be proud to have achieved. He congratulated them for ‎'overthrowing the Ghnewa Empire.'‎
The late Ghnewa is the head of the Stability Support Apparatus (SSA) militia which was disbanded in a military operation last week. This came after the killing of Ghnewa in contested circumstances during or after a meeting with Hamza and other Aldabaiba aligned military commanders.
Ghnewa's killing, the disbanding of the SSA, and the takeover of its bases precipitated militia clashes and demonstration and a week of instability in Tripoli where the government could have collapsed.
– Hamza said ‎the Libyan army, of which his 444th Brigade is a member, has uprooted the long-standing corruption of Ghnewa's empire from the largest geographical area in the capital, Tripoli, Abusleem, after wreaking havoc for a decade and a half. ‎
– The criminal Ghnewa used to dominate Chiefs of Staff for Land Forces, the SSA, the Internal Security Agency, Audit Bureau, Administrative Control Authority, and he used to get involved in all contracts and coerce and threaten all those in charge, his men stealing in millions and billions.
‎- The Libyan army, with its meticulous military operations, toppled in just one hour, an unjust empire with all the elements of its injustice.‎
‎- And know, that the fall of Ghnewa was not limited to him.‎ All the countries that exploited him and their intelligence and their intelligence movement fell behind him and were cut off inside our land. ‎We brought them down too.
– A few months ago, he brought 10 planes full of ammunition. He was preparing. He has mercenaries and a team from Eastern Europe.
– He was another copy of Kany family (of Tarhuna). Killings and mass killings and mass graves. The Libyan people will be surprised by these. We have proof to be revealed soon.
– Lutfi Al-Harari, the former Internal Security Agency (ISA) head, used to exploit the ISA to make up lies against people. He corruptly dominated this the most important arm of the state for years.
– Ghnewa's brother the ''Kabus'' ( the nightmare ) corruptly made money in the millions and billions, extorting Libyans.
– You should be proud the Libyan Army one day got a corrupt unjust militia out from the centre of Tripoli.
– We captured tens and hundreds of alcohol and drugs quantities used by these corrupt militias.
– They were a reality imposed on the state. They thought their corrupt dominance will endure.
– We (the Libyan Army) are civil servants. Regular soldiers with serial numbers. We have not killed anyone or been unjust or stolen from anyone. We are in the path of building the state. Building a state is not easy. You have seen what has happened in Libya since 2011: Daesh, militias, people and fuel smuggling.
– They will ask why did I sit and meet with them? We had no choice. We were forced by the status quo we inherited and for the public good as part of our job.
‎- We will continue to secure people, and you will be shown the shocking facts of the effects of tyranny and domination over innocent people.
.
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