UN voices deep concern as Tripoli fighting endangers civilians
TRIPOLI: The United Nations expressed deep concern Thursday over rising violence in Libya's capital, warning the clashes risk mass displacement and put civilians in grave danger.
The fighting broke out late Monday, with heavy gunfire and explosions rocking several districts and killing at least six people, according to authorities.
They declared it over within hours, but clashes flared again on Wednesday in key areas including Tripoli's only port, in what a security source described as "urban warfare."
The guns fell silent on Thursday, but fears of renewed violence linger.
The International Organisation for Migration called for an immediate halt to hostilities to protect civilians in line with international law.
The UN body said it was "alarmed by the recent escalation of violence", highlighting the "severe risk of mass displacement and danger to civilians."
Turkiye, a proponent of the Tripoli-based government, said it was evacuating its nationals from the North African country.
Libya has remained deeply divided since the 2011 Nato-backed revolt that toppled and killed longtime leader Muammar Gaddafi.
The country is split between a UN-recognised government in Tripoli, led by Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah, and a rival administration in the east controlled by the Haftar family.
Tripoli was calm again on Thursday after the clashes between a powerful armed group aligned with the Tripoli-based government and rival factions it is trying to dismantle.
Schools, the University of Tripoli and the city's only airport remained closed, AFP reporters said.
Most shops also stayed shut, except for a few in outlying areas that said they were encountering shortages.
The violence was sparked by the killing of Abdelghani al-Kikli, head of the Support and Stability Apparatus (SSA), by the 444 Brigade, a force aligned with Dbeibah. Kikli's group controlled the southern district of Abu Salim.
The second wave of clashes pitted the 444 Brigade against the Radaa force, which controls parts of eastern Tripoli and several key state institutions.
No official casualty figures were released, but the Libyan Red Crescent said it had recovered a body from a main street in Tripoli.
While the fighting subsided overnight, SSA loyalists said Kikli's death "only strengthens our resolve to relentlessly pursue those involved wherever they are."
His relatives said he was killed in an "ambush" during a mediation meeting at a 444 Brigade facility.
Dbeibah on Tuesday vowed to "do away with irregular groups" in Tripoli and "establish the principle that there is no place in Libya except for state institutions."
Libya expert Jalel Harchaoui said the clashes amounted to a "territorial reshuffle", though fighting the more popular and entrenched Radaa force proved difficult.
More than 500 people rallied on Wednesday night in the Souq el-Joumaa neighbourhood, a Radaa stronghold, chanting against the Dbeibah government before shots were fired to disperse them.
The demonstration followed a string of executive orders to dismantle Radaa and dissolve other Tripoli-based armed groups, excluding the 444 Brigade.
Radaa enjoys a degree of public legitimacy despite running prisons deemed illegal.
The SSA, by contrast, faces mounting accusations of abuse, including torture and forced labour of sub-Saharan African migrants.
"Whether these clashes serve to undermine or consolidate Dbeibah's authority remains an open question," wrote the International Crisis Group's Claudia Gazzini.
"Either way, residents of Tripoli are yet again victims of violence wrought by forces beyond their control."
The embassies of Germany, France the United States, Britain and Italy on Wednesday evening expressed "their deep concern about the recent violence in Tripoli", urging the "authorities to take all measures to protect civilians" in a statement.--AFP
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