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Morocco World
17-05-2025
- Politics
- Morocco World
Morocco Sets Up Crisis Cells to Support Nationals in Libya Amid Rising Unrest
Rabat – The Moroccan Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued today a safety advisory for Moroccan citizens residing in Libya, following recent violent clashes in Tripoli. The ministry said it is closely monitoring the situation and has activated emergency response units both in Morocco and at the Moroccan Consulate General in Tripoli. A statement from the ministry advised Moroccan nationals in Libya to exercise maximum caution, remain indoors, and avoid areas of tension and public gatherings that could pose risks to their safety. To assist Moroccan citizens during this period, the Ministry has provided the following contact numbers: Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Morocco): Landlines: +212 5 37 67 60 53 / +212 5 37 67 63 50 Mobile: +212 6 61 59 93 62 Moroccan Consulate General in Tripoli: Landline: +218 21 36 19 031 WhatsApp: +212 6 66 91 33 00 / +212 6 97 73 82 24 It said the contact points are available to provide support and information to Moroccan nationals affected by the current situation in Libya. Libya has recently experienced significant unrest, particularly in the capital, Tripoli. On May 12, clashes erupted following the assassination of Abdel Ghani al-Kikli, a prominent militia leader known as 'Gheniwa.' His death led to violent confrontations between rival armed groups, resulting in multiple casualties and widespread disruption in the city. In response to the escalating violence, the Libyan government announced a ceasefire on May 14, aiming to restore order and protect civilians. Despite these efforts, public dissatisfaction has grown, with protests demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah. The unrest has also led to the resignation of three government ministers. Tags: conflictLibyaMorocco
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
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.
Miami Herald
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Miami Herald
Violent Clashes Erupt in Libya After Top Official Assassinated
Rival gunman exchanged fire in Libya's capital following the killing of a local militia leader in clashes which have prompted international calls for calm. The violence followed the killing of Abdel Ghani al-Kikli, also known as "Gheniwa," who is the head of the powerful Stability Support Authority (SSA) militia. The SSA is under the Presidential Council, which came to power in 2021 with the Government of National Unity (GNU) through a United Nations-recognized process. The U.N. called for a de-escalation on Tuesday after heavy gunfire and explosions rocked Tripoli's southern districts on Monday evening, Al Jazeera reported. This is a developing story and will be updated shortly. Related Articles Maximalism Will Doom Diplomacy With Iran | OpinionJudge Says Trump Deportations to Libya, Saudi Arabia Violate Court OrderTwo More Countries Could Take Deported U.S. Migrants: ReportItaly's Meloni Under Probe for Releasing ICC-Wanted Libyan Officer 2025 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.
