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United News of India
15-05-2025
- Politics
- United News of India
Violence in Libya's Tripoli threatens nearly half mln children: UNICEF
Tripoli, May 15 (UNI) The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) on Wednesday said the escalating violence in and around the Libyan capital Tripoli over the past two days threatens to impact nearly half a million children. "UNICEF has received reports that children, families, and medical staff were stranded in hospitals for hours, including inside Al Jalaa Children Hospital, as fighting closed in. For several hours, emergency services were unable to access the facility to provide the needed help. Families are reporting extreme distress among their children due to the violence," UNICEF said in a statement. It urged all parties to uphold their obligations under international humanitarian law and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child to protect children and the infrastructure they rely on. "We call for a sustained cessation of hostilities to ensure the safety and well-being of every child," it said. Heavy clashes broke out late Monday in Tripoli between forces loyal to Prime Minister Abdul-Hamed Dbeibah, including the 444 Brigade, and a powerful militant group affiliated with the Presidency Council the Stability Support Apparatus (SSA), amid reports of the death of Abdul Ghani al-Kikli, known as "Ghaniwa," who was the head of the SSA. Libya's Tripoli-based Government of National Unity declared a ceasefire on Wednesday following intense overnight clashes between the rival militias that spread into central and residential districts of the capital. Libya has been mired in political turmoil and insecurity since the 2011 overthrow of longtime leader Muammar Gaddafi. The country remains split between rival administrations: an eastern-based government in Tobruk backed by the House of Representatives, and a western-based government in Tripoli aligned with the UN-recognized Presidency Council. UNI XINHUA ARN
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Libya Takes Another Step Towards All-Out Civil War Amid Oil ‘Boom'
What was marketed as a fragile return to order in Libya has, once again, been exposed as a mirage. On May 12, Tripoli plunged into chaos following the reported killing of Abdul Ghani al-Kikli (aka 'Gheniwa'), the commander who runs the powerful SSA (Stability Support Apparatus), one of Libya's many militias whose patronage is necessary for either of the two clans that control the country's east and west in a bitter rivalry. The gunfire and shelling that started to tear through Tripoli on Monday wasn't simply on the level of an isolated skirmish; this is a major tremor along a fast-widening geopolitical fault line that won't just expose Libyan oil to more hijacking. For readers of exclusive weekly newsletter, all will already be clear: The fragile system of mutually beneficial corruption that's kept the two clans from launching the next civil war is cracking. For oil investors, it may be time for a rethink, and a recalculation of how much money they are willing to risk on the longer game here. While global energy majors have expressed a great deal of excitement about Libya's potential oil production rebound, the resurgence of clashes in Tripoli make clear what seasoned analysts have warned all along: Libya is still one political misfire away from collapsing into violent fragmentation. For oil investors, the timing of these clashes couldn't be worse. This is not a market opportunity—it's a geopolitical storm in the images out of Abu Salim—a Tripoli district that has long served as Gheniwa's stronghold—were grim. Clashes between the SSA and the Misrata-based 444 Brigade intensified within hours of news of his death. Multiple reports, including from Libya Observer and Al Jazeera, indicate that armored vehicles and heavy weaponry were deployed deep into residential areas. By nightfall, civilian life in Tripoli had ground to a halt, with the UN issuing an urgent call for calm, warning of 'significant risks to civilians.' Gheniwa's SSA is one of many militias co-opted into state structures by the Government of National Unity (GNU), led by Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah. His death leaves a power vacuum that other groups will waste no time attempting to fill, on behalf of General Khalifa Haftar, who rules the east and largely controls oil production and exports, if not oil revenues. While the Tripoli clashes played out in real time, another headline flew mostly under the radar: the public prosecution ordered the detention of top executives at Al-Madar, Libya's largest mobile company. Ostensibly, the arrests target corruption. But in Libya's hyper-politicized environment, few believe this is mere legal housekeeping. The move reflects an ongoing pattern, which is part of Dbeibah's broader campaign to neutralize institutions that could serve rival power centers (in other words, the Haftar clan). According to Libya Herald, the timing of the Al-Madar arrests aligns with increased internal competition between the GNU (Dbeiba's Government of National Unity) and rival institutions in the east, most notably the Libyan National Army (LNA) under Haftar. Control over communications, just like control over oil terminals and military infrastructure, is a lever of power. As The Washington Institute poignantly noted earlier this week (and oil investors should pay attention), Libya is not governed by institutions. It is governed by men with militias, who wear the uniforms of state authority when convenient, and discard them when it suits political gain. The competition between Dbeibah and Haftar is not merely political; it is tribal, economic, and ultimately existential. Each side seeks not power-sharing, but monopoly, which means that the 'benefit-sharing' deal that has been in place for the past five years was simply a period of regrouping, with the aid of corruption on both sides. Once those arsenals are full, the deal is off. has recently highlighted the troubling trend of international oil companies showing renewed interest in Libya, buoyed by the country's ambitious production targets. Libya's National Oil Corporation (NOC) is eyeing a boost in daily output to 1.3 million barrels per day by 2026, which depends on stability. The political framework supporting Libya's oil sector is built on quicksand. Smuggling syndicates, militia-run fuel rackets, and foreign mercenary networks (including recently rebranded Russian mercenaries in the east) continue to undermine any efforts at national coherence. Even technical staff at key export terminals operate under de facto militia rule. The fatal flaw in investor optimism is that oil, unlike minerals or digital assets, requires physical infrastructure and physical security. Libya has neither. Every pipeline, refinery, and offshore platform sits within a zone of contested control. And with the central government unable (or unwilling) to disarm its own proxies, the industry is one factional dispute away from collapse. The assassination of a key Dbeibah militia commander is just that. Complicating the picture further is the growing role of Russia, particularly in Haftar-controlled territories. Russian-linked interests have not only entrenched themselves in eastern oil facilities but are also creating an alternative power architecture in coordination with Haftar's camp. Moscow's goal is not just energy influence; it's seeking access to the southern Mediterranean. For Western investors and governments, that should be a red flag. The same energy fields that are supposed to fuel European stability may, under current conditions, empower a Russia-aligned parallel state. Where does that leave Libya, then? And who will come out on top? That depends not simply on which militias each clan has won over with patronage schemes … It depends on which external powers will step into the fray more visibly than they are now. Washington is busy with tariff warfare, Ukraine and Gaza. It's largely stepped aside as Syria's new post-Assad regime scrambles to secure power and external forces (Turkey, Israel, UAE, among others) stake their claims and attempt to secure the fallout. It's also been absent in Libya for the most part, while Russia homes in on key Libyan outposts in the east. America isn't playing geopolitics anymore. It's only business. The only deal Trump has attempted to cut with Libya recently is to absorb illegal immigrants being deported from the U.S., where they will end up (should it materialize) fighting a civil war in which the U.S. has zero stake, but which will play an influential role in the future balance of power. By Tom Kool for More Top Reads From this article on
Egypt Today
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Egypt Today
Libya engulfed in chaos following top security official's killing
A smoke rises from a port of Tripoli after being attacked in Tripoli, Libya February 18, 2020. REUTERS/Ahmed Elumami CAIRO – 13 May 2025: The Libyan capital, Tripoli, has been gripped by a state of chaos and unrest in recent hours following violent clashes sparked by the killing of Abdul Ghani al-Kikli, known as "Ghaniwa," the head of the Stability Support Apparatus affiliated with the Presidential Council, according to Libyan media outlets. Reports indicate the sound of artillery and heavy weapons fire in the Ain Zara and Salah al-Din areas, located in the suburbs of Tripoli. In the same context, activists and social media users widely circulated a video documenting the moment of storming the headquarters of the Stability Support Apparatus in Tripoli. Libyan media sources reported that Abdul Ghani al-Kikli was killed inside the headquarters of "Brigade 444 Combat," affiliated with the Tripoli Military Zone, on Monday evening, as reported by Al-Qahera News channel. Libya: Partial Power Outage in Areas of Tripoli Media reports, including the flight tracking website Flightradar24, indicated the suspension of departure and arrival traffic at Mitiga International Airport in Libya. There are also reports of a curfew being declared in the capital, Tripoli. Libyan media also reported a partial power outage in areas of the capital, Tripoli, according to Al-Qahera News channel. Libya: Complete Control Over Abu Salim Area in Tripoli Meanwhile, the Ministry of Interior of the Government of National Unity in Libya affirmed that it is making efforts to control security and contain the situation. The administration of Mitiga Airport confirmed that airlines have been transferred to Misrata Airport as a precautionary measure. The Ministry of Defense of the Government of National Unity also confirmed that complete control has been established over the Abu Salim area in Tripoli, according to Al-Qahera News channel. Libya: Calls to Exercise Caution and Not Leave Residences Regarding international reactions, TASS news agency reported that the Russian Embassy in Libya was not affected by the clashes erupting in Tripoli. Media outlets reported that the Tunisian Embassy in Tripoli called on the Tunisian community to exercise caution and not leave their places of residence. The United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) expressed its deep concern over the deteriorating security situation in Tripoli, with heavy weapons fighting intensifying in densely populated civilian neighborhoods. UNSMIL called on all parties to cease fighting immediately and restore calm. Libya: Mobilization and Military Movements Affiliated with Misrata and Zawiya The clashes followed a mobilization and military movements affiliated with the cities of Misrata, Zawiya, and Zintan towards the capital, Tripoli, after escalating disputes between the Stability Support Apparatus and the Misrata Joint Force, despite warnings issued by UNSMIL. The UN mission had called on Libyan parties to "avoid the use of force in resolving the conflict, stop the escalation, and calm the situation," stressing that it is closely monitoring reports regarding military movements and the increasing tension in Tripoli and the western region, urging all parties to "urgently de-escalate, refrain from any provocative actions, and work to settle disputes through constructive dialogue."
