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Middle East Eye
5 days ago
- Politics
- Middle East Eye
Libya: UN raises alarm over ‘gross violations' after scores of bodies found at militia sites in Tripoli
The UN has demanded an independent probe into evidence of extrajudicial killings by an armed Libyan group following the discovery of dozens of bodies in mass graves across Libya's capital Tripoli. The bodies were found at sites run by the Stabilisation Support Apparatus (SSA), one of the city's most powerful militia groups, once led by Abdel-Ghani al-Kikli who was assassinated in May. Al-Kikli, also known as "Gheniwa," was among Tripoli's most influential militia commanders and faced allegations of extrajudicial killings and serious human rights violations. Before his death, he had come into conflict with other armed groups. His killing triggered armed clashes across the capital, the deadliest since August 2023, when rival factions in Tripoli battled for control, leaving 55 people dead. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters In the wake of the violence, the UN human rights office (OCHR) said 10 badly charred bodies were discovered at the SSA headquarters in the Abu Salim neighbourhood, while 67 more bodies were found 'in refrigerators in various states of decay' in hospitals in Abu Salim and Al Khadra. Exclusive: Greece to lobby Egypt against Haftar endorsing Turkey-Libya maritime deal Read More » Another suspected mass grave has also been reported at the SSA-run Tripoli Zoo. The identities of the victims remain unknown. Volker Turk, the UN's high commissioner said the revelations confirmed the UN's 'worst-held fears' of gross human rights violations perpetrated by the group at these sites, adding that the bodies were found along with "suspected instruments of torture and abuse, and potential evidence of extrajudicial killings'. Turk noted that forensic authorities have not been allowed into the sites and called on the Libyan authorities to seal them to preserve evidence and ensure international access. The recent revelations follow the discovery of two mass graves in Jakharrah and Al-Kufra in February, containing over 100 bodies of refugees, who are particularly vulnerable to human trafficking, forced disappearance and killings in Libya. The SSA has long been suspected by the UN Support Mission in Libya and independent rights experts of being the main perpetrators of violence inside Libya's detention centres. Officially tied to the Presidential Council under the internationally recognised Government of National Unity (GNU), the group is one of the many factions competing for power in Libya's capital.
Al-Ahram Weekly
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Al-Ahram Weekly
Intense skirmishes in Libya - World - Al-Ahram Weekly
The flareup of violence in the Libyan capital Tripoli last week was a stark remainder of the fragility of the security situation in the country and the looming possibility of a slide back into civil war The Libyan Presidential Council, in cooperation with the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), launched a mechanism to stabilise the truce and ceasefire in Tripoli on 18 May. Meanwhile, the Libyan capital was rocked by intense skirmishes last week between the Deterrence Apparatus for Combating Terrorism and Organised Crime (RADA), which is affiliated with the Presidential Council, and the 444th Combat Brigade, which is part of the internationally recognised Libyan Government of National Unity (GNU). As these forces clashed, several armed groups in Western Libya attempted to march on the capital. The unrest erupted after a security operation carried out by the GNU against the Stability Support Apparatus (SSA) following the assassination of SSA commander Abdulghani Al-Kikli in Tripoli on 12 May. The circumstances surrounding his assassination remain unclear. Al-Kikli (also known as Ghnewa) had commanded one of the largest militia groups in Tripoli. While nominally subordinate to the Presidential Council, it operated independently. According to some reports, Al-Kikli was killed following disputes with leaders of other armed factions from Tripoli and Misrata over control of key government facilities in the capital, such as the Libyan Telecommunications Holding Company and the Audit Bureau. During the GNU security operation, government forces took over the Abu Salim district in Southern Libya, which had served as Al-Kikli's and the SSA's stronghold. Tensions in the capital then heightened further when GNU Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah issued a decree dissolving the RADA and dispatched the 444th Brigade to seize the RADA headquarters in Eastern Tripoli. In response, Abdelraouf Kara, the commander of the RADA, sought support from militia factions in Warshefana and Zawiya, tribal areas west of Tripoli opposed to Dbeibah. As has occurred before with many of the armed factions that proliferated in post-Gaddafi Libya, Kara and 444th Brigade Commander Mahmoud Hamza had once been allies. Both are from the Souq Al-Jumaa district of eastern Tripoli, share a similar radical Salafi ideological outlook, and worked closely together until their rupture in 2022. According to Libyan sources, the Warshefana and Zawiya militias aimed not just to defend Kara and the RADA but also to join forces with him to topple Dbeibah and replace him with a new prime minister representative of various influential forces in Western Libya. The clashes between the RADA and the 444th Brigade last week brought life in the capital to a halt and caused significant damage to public and private property in Tripoli. Although a ceasefire was announced after two days of fierce fighting and neutral forces have been deployed as peacekeepers, the authorities have yet to release any official casualty figures. Meanwhile, Dbeibah is also facing pressure from other quarters. Speaker of the Libyan House of Representatives (HoR) Aguila Saleh called on the Attorney General to launch an investigation into the GNU prime minister in connection with the assassination of Al-Kikli and the events in the capital and impose a travel ban on him. Khaled Al-Mishri, who is contesting the validity of the elections that led to his replacement as the head of the High Council of State (HCS) by Mohamed Takala, has called for the formation of a new government in coordination with the HoR. The GNU has lost its legitimacy, Al-Mishri declared. As though to confirm this, anti-government protests then erupted over the weekend, demanding Dbeibah's removal and the appointment of a new interim prime minister to oversee the rest of the transitional period until national elections are held. To quell the violence and de-escalate tensions triggered by Dbeibah's actions, Mohamed Al-Menfi, head of the Presidential Council, officially annulled Dbeibah's decrees to restructure the security agencies, including the order to dissolve the RADA. He also proclaimed a truce and reached an agreement with UNSMIL to secure the current ceasefire and enhance security in the capital. The agreement was concluded in the presence of UN Special Representative and UNSMIL head Hanna Tetteh and her Deputy for Political Affairs Stephanie Khoury. The mechanism calls for a 'Truce Committee' tasked with promoting a permanent ceasefire among the militia factions in Tripoli, protecting the civilian population, and reaching an agreement on security arrangements for the capital. In a televised address on 17 May, Dbeibah attempted to explain the government's security operation in Abu Salim. It was part of broader security arrangements for Tripoli that had targeted a militia that was beyond the control of the state, had extorted public institutions, had taken over six banks, and had exploited the Internal Security Agency for private gain, he said. The militia had committed many violations in the areas it controls and had contributed to the fragmentation of sovereign institutions. Dbeibah attributed the subsequent violence to an attempted 'coup' masterminded by Aguila Saleh, commander of the Libyan National Army in Benghazi, and Khaled Al-Mishri. He stressed his commitment to restoring order and consolidating state authority in Tripoli and expressed his dismay over the protests calling for his removal and the formation of a new government. He cast the GNU, which is not an elected body or created by an elected body, as a manifestation of the democratic gains of the 17 February 2011 Revolution. The sudden flareup of violence in the capital last week was a stark remainder of the fragility of the security situation and the looming possibility of a slide back into civil war. Dbeibah's insistence on implementing what he called new security arrangements but what others read as a bid to consolidate power is a reflection of his government's fragility, as manifested in the HoR's withdrawal of confidence and the resignation of several ministers. Some reports suggest that he is now engaged in talks with various political forces to engineer a cabinet reshuffle. Towards this end, he hopes to take advantage of the fragmentation among his political rivals as well as the general animosity between the HoR and HSC, which continue to haggle over details regarding the electoral laws and the constitutional framework. Meanwhile, international stakeholders are still divided over how to handle the Libyan crisis. Dbeibah is in a delicate position. He wants to demonstrate his ability to enforce the new security arrangements in Tripoli, dismantle the power centres of rival militias, and remove them from government institutions that they saw as their own turf. However, achieving this will require international support, something that was largely absent during the recent clashes, although now it may have quietly reemerged in the form of UNSMIL's coordination with the Presidential Council on ceasefire stabilisation. If Dbeibah succeeds in eliminating the RADA, as he did the SSA last week, he will have secured his personal control over the capital, sidelining rivals and bolstering his influence as the main power in Western Libya. This presents a dilemma for both Libyans and the international community. On the one hand, if the Tripoli-based GNU can assert its control over the capital and Western Libya, this might ensure the success of efforts to reform the government institutions. However, tensions would seethe dangerously beneath the surface due to the ongoing opposition to Dbeibah and his government among significant political forces. Conversely, Dbeibeh's failure to secure control over the capital would contribute to perpetuating the ongoing security chaos and institutional collapse, which are hampering efforts to rebuild and improve the country's degraded public services. This is why many believe that institutional and structural reform should take priority, especially given the ongoing deadlock in the political process. The aim of this is to lay the legislative and practical groundwork for the long overdue Libyan presidential and parliamentary elections to restore the legitimacy of the country's institutions and leadership. * A version of this article appears in print in the 22 May, 2025 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
Time of India
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
New ‘War' In New Nation; Top Militia Leader Assassinated; Arson, Explosions On Cam
Violence erupted in Libya's capital, Tripoli, following the reported assassination of a senior militia leader, Abdul Ghani Al-Kikli, head of the UN-backed government's Stability Support Apparatus (SSA). Armed clashes broke out between rival factions—most notably the 111th and 444th Brigades—leading to heavy gunfire, explosions, and arson across the city. Al-Kikli was allegedly killed during a firefight inside the 444th Brigade headquarters after failed negotiations. Emergency measures were declared, and authorities urged residents to remain indoors. The United Nations and the U.S. Embassy in Libya expressed deep concern and urged immediate de-escalation.#LIBYA #tripoli #unrest #assassination
13-05-2025
- Politics
A warlord and 6 other people killed as militia infighting rocks Libya's capital, officials say
CAIRO -- Clashes between heavily armed militias rocked the Libyan capital, with gunfire and explosions heard across the city following the killing of a powerful warlord, officials said. At least six people were killed, they said. The hourslong clashes, which involved heavy weapons, took place Monday evening into the early hours of Tuesday and centered in Tripoli's southern neighborhood of Abu Salim, the officials said. The fighting stemmed from the killing of Abdel-Ghani al-Kikli, commander of the Stabilization Support Authority, SSA, on Monday by a rival militia, a senior government and health official said. The SSA is an umbrella group of militias that rose to become one of the most powerful groups in western Libya, which has a history of atrocities and rights abuses during the country's long-running conflict. Al-Kikli, who was known as 'Gheniwa,' has been accused by Amnesty International of war crimes and other serious rights violations over the past decade. Al-Kikli was killed in a facility run by the 444 Brigade, a militia commanded by Mahmoud Hamza, a warlord close to Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah, one of the officials said. Hamza's militia and their allies then attacked the offices of SSA across the capital, seizing their assets and detaining dozens of SSA fighters, said the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity for their safety. The Health Ministry's Ambulance and Emergency Services said in a statement that at least six people were killed in the vicinity of Abu Salim, the SSA stronghold. It said it helped evacuate many families trapped in the clashes. Residents reported heavy clashes and explosions in multiple areas in the capital, with dozens of vehicles carrying fighters affiliated with different militias in the streets. 'It was a nightmare,' said Ahmed Ammer, who lives in the city center, adding that the clashes were reminiscent of the civil war that engulfed the North African country following the 2011 overthrow and killing of longtime ruler Moammar Gadhafi. He said the clashes subsided early Tuesday morning, but the situation has been tense with many fighters in the streets. Classes in the capital's schools were suspended on Tuesday, according to the Tripoli-based Education Ministry. The University of Tripoli also said it suspended studies, exams and administrative work until further notice. Dbeibah's government posted on its social media platforms early Tuesday that its forces carried out a military operation in Abu Salim and took full control of the area. It didn't provide further details. In a statement, the U.N. mission in Libya expressed alarm about the 'intense fighting with heavy weaponry in densely populated civilian areas' and warned that 'attacks on civilians and civilian objects may amount to war crimes.' The clashes were the latest bout of violence in the largely lawless Mediterranean country, which has been plunged into chaos and division since 2011. Amid the chaos, militias grew in wealth and power, particularly in Tripoli and the western part of the country. Libya has been divided for years between rival administrations in the east and west, each backed by armed groups and foreign governments. Currently, it is governed by Dbeibah's government in the west and by the administration of Prime Minister Ossama Hammad in the east.
Middle East Eye
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Middle East Eye
Deadly clashes rock Libya's capital after militia leader killed
Clashes between heavily armed militias erupted across the Libyan capital late on Monday night, killing at least six people and plunging Tripoli into renewed violence and fear. The fighting, which continued into the early hours of Tuesday, was triggered by the killing of Abdelghani al-Kikli, a powerful militia commander known as "Gheniwa," who led the Stability Support Authority (SSA), one of Tripoli's most influential armed factions. Heavy gunfire and explosions were reported in several neighbourhoods, particularly Abu Salim, a densely populated southern district. Residents told Reuters they heard intense gun battles. 'Six bodies have been retrieved from the sites of clashes around Abu Salim,' Libya's Emergency Medicine and Support Centre confirmed. The health ministry also said that emergency crews helped evacuate families trapped by the violence and called on hospitals and medical centres 'to raise their level of preparedness and ensure maximum readiness to deal with any emergency'. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters In the wake of the clashes, the interior ministry of the Tripoli-based Government of National Unity (GNU) issued an emergency alert urging residents to stay indoors. Schools and universities suspended classes, exams and all administrative activities. The education ministry cited the 'deteriorating security situation,' while the University of Tripoli announced a full closure 'until further notice'. Death of a warlord Al-Kikli was allegedly ambushed on Monday evening in a facility run by the 444 Brigade, a rival militia led by Mahmoud Hamza, an influential commander allied with GNU Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah. While the exact circumstances of his killing remain murky, a nephew of al-Kikli said in a Facebook post that he had been lured under the pretence of negotiations, an invitation that turned out to be a calculated hit. 'Crumbling': Libya's warring factions dig in for fight over oil profits Read More » 'For many years, Abdelghani 'Ghnewa' al-Kikli was arguably one of the most resilient, most successful armed group leaders in Tripoli when it came to extending militia influence beyond hard security,' Jalel Harchaoui, an analyst focusing on Libyan security and political economy, said in a post on X. 'His primary strength lay not in military might - though his territorial holdings did expand - but in his ability to outmaneuver Prime Minister Dbeibah. Today, however, that winning streak looks [like] it has come to an end.' Al-Kikli had long been a controversial figure in Libya's volatile security landscape. Amnesty International previously accused him of war crimes and human rights violations, including torture, arbitrary detention and extrajudicial killings. The SSA had become one of the most powerful militias in western Libya, with deep entrenchment in state institutions. As Harchaoui noted, al-Kikli had successfully 'installed loyalists in key positions across the banking, telecom and administrative oversight sectors, and even within top diplomatic functions'. A fractured state, again on edge By early Tuesday morning, authorities said the situation was under control. The GNU said its forces carried out a "military operation" to restore security and reassert state authority in Abu Salim. 'What was accomplished today shows that official institutions are capable of protecting the homeland and preserving the dignity of its citizens,' Dbeibah wrote on X, praising the operation as 'a decisive step' against "irregular" armed factions. The United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) expressed grave concern over the fighting, calling for an immediate ceasefire and the protection of civilians. 'UNSMIL is alarmed by the unfolding security situation in Tripoli, with intense fighting with heavy weaponry in densely populated civilian areas,' it said on X. 'Attacks on civilians and civilian objects may amount to war crimes.' The UNSMIL warned that unless armed groups were held accountable, violence would remain a constant threat to Libyans caught in the crossfire. Libya and Trump administration discussed sharing billions of dollars in frozen funds, sources say Read More » The North African country has been divided between rival governments in the west and east since the 2011 Nato-backed uprising that overthrew and killed longtime ruler Muammar Gaddafi. The internationally recognised GNU governs from Tripoli in the west, while a rival administration under Prime Minister Osama Hammad operates from Benghazi in the east with backing from General Khalifa Haftar's forces. Despite a 2020 ceasefire and several diplomatic efforts to unify the country, Libya remains fractured, with heavily armed factions vying for power, influence and control of lucrative oil and gas resources. The latest clashes are the deadliest since August 2023, when rival factions in Tripoli battled for control, leaving 55 people dead. Anas El Gomati, founder and director of the Tripoli-based Sadeq Institute, said on X that al-Kikli's 'elimination leaves Dbeibah as the dominant power broker in western Libya, having systematically neutralised or co-opted potential rivals. 'The timing is particularly significant, coming as US-led negotiations explore the possibility of a unified military council between rival eastern and western factions,' Gomati added. Harchaoui warned that "what is about to follow won't be smooth sailing. 'Tripoli faces a territorial reshuffle as Dbeibah's camp moves to seize SSA-held areas,' he said, adding that clashes may flare, but the real impact is institutional, with both the Central Bank and Libyan Foreign Bank set to be affected by the collapse of al-Kikli's network.
