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Libya Review
3 days ago
- Health
- Libya Review
Final Group of Libyan Pilgrims Arrives in Mecca
The General Authority for Hajj and Umrah Affairs in Libya has announced the arrival of the final group of Libyan pilgrims to the holy city of Mecca on Saturday, marking the completion of this year's Hajj departures. The last group, departing from Benina International Airport in Benghazi, was part of the Benghazi coordination office and left under tight organisational and medical supervision. The Emergency Medicine and Support Centre, the official medical sponsor for this year's Hajj season, oversaw the procedures. A fully equipped emergency clinic was set up inside the airport to conduct thorough medical examinations before departure. Pilgrims also received the necessary preventive vaccinations and health guidance to ensure their safety throughout the journey, according to Libya's state news agency, LANA. Medical teams were on standby around the clock, supported by mobile ambulance units to respond to any emergencies during the final phase of deployment. The centre reported that a total of 1,678 pilgrims benefited from medical services, with 471 medical procedures conducted. The efforts are part of a comprehensive plan aimed at providing the highest standards of healthcare and ensuring a smooth and secure travel process for all departing pilgrims. Libya has been in chaos since a NATO-backed uprising toppled longtime leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. The county has for years been split between rival administrations. Libya's economy, heavily reliant on oil, has suffered due to the ongoing conflict. The instability has led to fluctuations in oil production and prices, impacting the global oil market and Libya's economy. The conflict has led to a significant humanitarian crisis in Libya, with thousands of people killed, and many more displaced. Migrants and refugees using Libya as a transit point to Europe have also faced dire conditions. The planned elections for December 2021 were delayed due to disagreements over election laws and the eligibility of certain candidates. This delay has raised concerns about the feasibility of a peaceful political transition. Despite the ceasefire, security remains a significant concern with sporadic fighting and the presence of mercenaries and foreign fighters. The unification of the military and the removal of foreign forces are crucial challenges. Tags: benghaziHajjlibyaMeccaMedicinePilgrimsSaudi Arabia
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
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.
New Indian Express
13-05-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Libya armed group leader among six killed in Tripoli clashes
TRIPOLI: Overnight clashes in Libya's capital killed at least six people, an emergency medical service said Tuesday, with local media reporting that an armed group leader was among the dead. AFP reporters heard heavy arms fire and explosions in several areas of the capital Tripoli from 9:00 pm (1900 GMT) on Monday as violent clashes between rival armed groups rocked the city. "Six bodies have been retrieved from the sites of clashes around Abu Salim" in Tripoli, the Emergency Medicine and Support Centre said. Libya's Al-Ahrar television and Al-Wasat news website said that Abdelghani al-Kikli, leader of the Support and Stability Apparatus, was killed. The reports said he was likely ambushed in Abu Salim, a southern district of the capital where his influential armed group is based. Authorities had urged residents to stay indoors before saying several hours later that the fighting had been brought under control. Local media said clashes broke out in the southern suburbs between armed groups from Tripoli and rivals from Misrata, a major port city 200 kilometres (125 miles) east of the capital. Libya is struggling to recover from years of unrest following the NATO-backed 2011 uprising that led to the overthrow and killing of longtime leader Muammar Gaddafi. The North African country is currently divided between a UN-recognised government in Tripoli and a rival administration in the east, controlled by the Haftar family. The Tripoli-based government announced in a statement early Tuesday that a "military operation" to restore "security and stability" in the capital had been successful. Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah, in a post on social media platform X, thanked government forces "for restoring security and asserting the state's authority in the capital." "What was accomplished today shows that official institutions are capable of protecting the homeland and preserving the dignity of its citizens," Dbeibah said. He hailed the security forces' actions as "a decisive step" in the fight against "irregular" armed factions. Despite relative calm in recent years, clashes periodically break out between armed groups vying for territory. In August 2023, fighting between two powerful armed groups in Tripoli left 55 dead. Several districts of the capital and its suburbs announced that schools would be closed on Tuesday until further notice. The United Nations Support Mission in Libya called for calm. "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. It urged "all parties to immediately cease fighting", warning that "attacks on civilians and civilian objects may amount to war crimes." "UNSMIL fully supports the efforts of elders and community leaders to de-escalate the situation."
