Libya's prime minister asserts control after deadly Tripoli violence
A day after deadly clashes shook Tripoli, Libya's United Nations-recognised government in the west of the country has begun asserting control following the reported killing of powerful militia leader Abdelghani al-Kikli, also known as Gheniwa.
The Emergency Medicine and Support Centre confirmed it retrieved six bodies from the Tripoli neighbourhood of Abu Salim on Tuesday, after heavy fighting erupted across the capital the previous night and into the early morning. Explosions and gunfire echoed through the southern part of the city as rival armed factions clashed for several hours.
The fighting stemmed from the killing of al-Kikli, commander of the Stability Support Authority, SSA, on Monday by a rival militia, a senior government and health official told the Associated Press news agency.
An official and local media say al-Kikli was killed during a meeting at the 444 Brigade's base, a group loyal to Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah.
Al-Kikli had been accused by Amnesty International of war crimes and other serious rights violations over the past decade.
Libya analyst Jalel Harchaoui told the AFP news agency that al-Kikli had been ambushed, citing a relative. 'Among Tripoli's most successful armed group leaders,' he was known for outmanoeuvring the prime minister, the analyst added.
On Tuesday, Dbeibah declared a military operation had dismantled 'irregular' armed groups. The move is seen as a direct effort to reassert state authority and strengthen his position in the capital.
'Gheniwa was de facto king of Tripoli,' Tarek Megerisi of the European Council on Foreign Relations told Reuters. 'His henchmen controlled the internal security agency … cash transfers from the central bank… numerous public companies and ministries'.
Al-Kikli's forces reportedly operated prisons and held influence over ministries and financial institutions, underscoring a significant shift in the balance of power with his death.
Clashes also spread beyond the capital, with fighting between Tripoli-based groups and rival militias from Misrata, a key coastal city to the east. Authorities imposed a temporary curfew before later announcing that calm had returned.
Libya, a major oil producer and key route for immigrants and refugees crossing the Mediterranean, remains deeply divided between Dbeibah's UN-recognised administration in the west and a rival eastern government aligned with military commander Khalifa Haftar.
Foreign powers including Turkiye, Russia, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates continue to back opposing sides in the ongoing power struggle.
Dbeibah said a 'military operation' had restored calm and asserted the government's authority. 'What was accomplished today shows that official institutions are capable of protecting the homeland and preserving the dignity of its citizens,' he wrote on X, praising the armed forces' role.
Schools across parts of the capital have been closed until further notice.
The UN mission in Libya expressed alarm over the use of heavy weapons in densely populated areas, warning that 'attacks on civilians and civilian objects may amount to war crimes' and calling on all sides to 'immediately cease fighting'.
Libya plunged into chaos following a NATO-backed uprising that toppled and killed Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. The oil-rich nation has been governed for most of the past decade by rival governments in eastern and western Libya, each backed by an array of fighter groups and foreign governments.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Al Jazeera
3 days ago
- Al Jazeera
Dozens of bodies found in militia-run sites in Libya's Tripoli; UN alarmed
The United Nations has raised grave concerns following the discovery of dozens of bodies in areas of the Libyan capital Tripoli previously controlled by a powerful militia, the Stabilisation Support Apparatus (SSA), whose leader was slain in clashes last month. United Nations rights chief Volker Turk said on Wednesday that his office was 'shocked' by evidence of severe human rights violations at detention sites run by the SSA, a group once led by Abdel-Ghani al-Kikli, who was killed during an eruption of fighting in mid-May in Tripoli. 'Our worst-held fears are being confirmed: dozens of bodies have been discovered at these sites, along with the discovery of suspected instruments of torture and abuse, and potential evidence of extrajudicial killings,' Turk said in a statement. Investigators were informed that 10 charred bodies were found at the SSA's base in Abu Salim, while another 67 corpses were recovered from hospital refrigerators at Abu Salim and Al Khadra facilities. A suspected burial site was also reported at the Tripoli Zoo, which had been under SSA control. The identities of the victims remain unknown. Turk called for the immediate sealing of all affected locations to preserve evidence, demanding international access to ensure accountability. Al-Kikli, among Tripoli's most influential militia commanders, had come into conflict with rival groups before his death. His SSA was officially tied to the Presidential Council under the UN-recognised Government of National Unity (GNU), formed in 2021. His assassination last month triggered fierce fighting across Tripoli, where several were killed and dozens wounded. Schools closed, a citywide curfew was imposed, and the UN Support Mission in Libya urged all parties to halt hostilities and protect civilians. With no unified national force, Tripoli remains at the mercy of competing armed factions, many of which operate with impunity. The UN continues to push for dialogue and a ceasefire mechanism as part of wider efforts to stabilise the country.
Al Jazeera
18-05-2025
- Al Jazeera
LIVE: Israel kills 36 in Gaza's al-Mawasi, resumes truce talks with Hamas
Israeli forces continue bombarding Gaza, attacking the so-called 'safe zone' of al-Mawasi and killing at least 36 come as Israel mobilises for a new and expanded ground assault on Gaza and resumes ceasefire talks with Hamas in leaders in Baghdad call for an end to Israel's war on Gaza and appeal for global action to get humanitarian aid into the besieged war on Gaza has killed at least 53,272 Palestinians and wounded 120,673, according to Gaza's Ministry of Health. The Government Media Office updated the death toll to more than 61,700, saying thousands of people missing under the rubble are presumed estimated 1,139 people were killed in Israel during the Hamas-led attacks on October 7, 2023, and more than 200 were taken captive. Update: Date: 9m ago (00:30 GMT) Title: US embassy in Tripoli denies report of planned relocation of Palestinians to Libya Content: The US embassy in Libya denied NBC News's report that the Trump administration is working on a plan to relocate Palestinians from the Gaza Strip to Libya. In a brief post on X, the embassy said: 'The report of alleged plans to relocate Gazans to Libya is untrue.' On Thursday, NBC News said the Trump administration is working on a plan to permanently relocate as many as one million Palestinians from the Gaza Strip to Libya. NBC News cited five people with knowledge of the matter, including two people with direct knowledge and a former US official. The Tripoli-based interionationally-recognised Government of National Unity has yet to issue a comment on the report. It's worth noting that Trump has previously said he would like the US to take over the Gaza Strip and resettle its Palestinian population elsewhere. Palestinians, however, vehemently reject any plan involving them leaving Gaza, comparing such ideas to the 1948 'Nakba,' or 'catastrophe,' when hundreds of thousands were dispossessed of their homes in the war that led to the creation of Israel. The report of alleged plans to relocate Gazans to Libya is untrue. — U.S. Embassy – Libya (@USEmbassyLibya) May 17, 2025 Update: Date: 24m ago (00:15 GMT) Title: Death toll in Israeli attacks on al-Mawasi rises to 36 Content: We are getting reports from our colleagues at Al Jazeera Arabic that the death toll in the attacks on the tent camp sheltering displaced Palestinians in southern Gaza has risen to 36. Earlier, we reported that at least 24 people were killed in the attacks. The dead and wounded were taken to the Kuwaiti field hospital and to Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis. We'll bring you more as soon as we get more details. Update: Date: 32m ago (00:07 GMT) Title: Gaza on the verge of famine Content: Update: Date: 36m ago (00:03 GMT) Title: A recap of recent developments Content: Update: Date: 39m ago (00:00 GMT) Title: Welcome to our live coverage Content: Hello, and thank you for joining our live coverage of Israel's war on Gaza, as well as its attacks on the occupied West Bank and the wider region. Follow this page for round-the-clock updates and analysis on the latest developments. You can read about the key events from Saturday, May 17, here.
Al Jazeera
17-05-2025
- Al Jazeera
Libyan ministers resign as protesters call for government to step down
Several ministers with Libya's internationally recognised government have resigned in support of the protesters calling for Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah to step down. The government late on Friday said a police officer was killed in an 'attempted assault' on the prime minister's office as thousands of Libyans marched into squares and various areas in the capital, Tripoli. 'He was shot by unknown attackers and succumbed to his injuries,' a statement said, adding that members of a group who mixed with the protesters tried to set the office on fire using Molotov cocktails. Economy and Trade Minister Mohamed al-Hawij, Local Government Minister Badr Eddin al-Tumi and Minister of Housing Abu Bakr al-Ghawi resigned, according to a video released by two of those ministers as well as local media reports. The government had earlier on Friday denied reports of the ministers' resignations. Meanwhile, in the city of Misrata, protesters gathered in support of Dbeibah and his government. The protests follow a wave of violence in Tripoli in the past week that led to the deaths of at least eight civilians. The deadly clashes started after powerful militia leader Abdelghani al-Kikli, also known as Gheniwa, was killed in an ambush at a military base. Dbeibah attempted to consolidate power and assert control after the killing, with more clashes following later in the week. Before the demonstrations, the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) had emphasised 'citizens' right to peaceful protest' and warned against 'any escalation of violence'. Reporting from Tripoli, Al Jazeera's Malik Traina said Libyans want to see a major change as people are 'extremely frustrated' with the security situation. 'Libyans are calling for elections and want to be able to voice their opinion and put those that they want in power,' he said. Egypt's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement on Saturday that Cairo was closely monitoring developments in Libya, and urged all parties to exercise 'maximum restraint'. It also advised Egyptian citizens in Libya to remain cautious and stay in their homes until the situation is clarified. Libya has been in turmoil since a NATO-backed uprising in 2011, which ended up dividing the country between two rival administrations. Dbeibah's Government of National Unity (GNU) has maintained control over western Libya since 2021, while an administration backed by renegade military commander Khalifa Haftar leads in the east. Libya was scheduled to hold national elections at the end of 2021, which were postponed indefinitely due to disputes over candidate eligibility, constitutional rules, and concerns over security as the rival governments failed to agree on a framework.
