Latest news with #StabilisationSupportApparatus
The National
20-05-2025
- Politics
- The National
Dozens of bodies found at Libyan hospital controlled by Tripoli militia
Fifty-eight bodies have been found in a mortuary refrigerator at a Tripoli hospital that was under the control of a militia involved in clashes in the Libyan city last week. The Interior Ministry for the UN-backed government that controls western Libya said the deaths had not been reported to authorities and that 35 of the dead were unidentified. They were discovered in Abu Salim Accident Hospital in the densely populated Abu Salim neighbourhood, the ministry said in a statement on Monday night. Photos of corpses on beds, their faces blurred, were posted online by the ministry. Some of the dead had burns. 'So far, 23 corpses have been examined, and all necessary legal procedures have been taken, including documenting data and collecting samples,' the ministry said. The statement said the bodies had been stored 'for a period of time' without any notification to police. Abu Salim was the territory of an armed group known as the Stabilisation Support Apparatus, whose leader Abdelghani Al Kikli – known as Ghaniwa – was killed last week, leading to days of fighting between militias. Mr Al Kikli's death led to the defeat of his group by armed factions aligned with Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah, who heads the UN-backed government. The clashes killed at least eight civilians, according to the UN, but Libyan authorities are yet to release an official number. A ceasefire came into effect on Wednesday. The corpses in the hospital refrigerator were the second batch found in recent days. On Saturday, officials said nine bodies had been discovered in cold storage at Al Khadra hospital, another facility in Abu Salim controlled by the Stabilisation Support Apparatus. A criminal investigation is under way, the Interior Ministry said in a post on X. Mr Dbeibah said on Saturday that his goal is to eliminate all militias and that it was an 'ongoing project'. He said in a televised address that armed groups must align themselves with the state. 'We will welcome all those who choose to stand with the state. We will sideline those who resort to blackmail and corruption,' he said. Certain militias 'had grown excessively, to the point of controlling the entire political, financial, economic, and even social landscape', he added. His government on Monday posted a video online showing bulldozers knocking down a camp that had been under the control of the Stabilisation Support Apparatus. Authorities said the area would be turned into a national park. Tripoli residents have taken to the streets in recent days to protest against the violence and demand Mr Dbeibah's resignation over the fighting. Libya is split between the UN-recognised government in Tripoli and a rival administration in the east controlled by the family of Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, commander of the Libyan National Army. The country was divided after a Nato-backed revolt in 2011 that toppled and killed longtime leader Muammar Qaddafi. Despite relative calm in recent years, clashes periodically break out between armed groups vying for territory. At least 55 people were killed in August 2023 during fighting between two factions in Tripoli.
South China Morning Post
19-05-2025
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
At least 58 unidentified corpses found in Libyan hospital, interior ministry says
At least 58 unidentified corpses were found on Monday in a hospital in Tripoli that was under the control of a militia whose leader was killed last week, the interior ministry said. Advertisement The corpses were found in a morgue fridge in Abu Salim Accidents Hospital in the densely populated Abu Salim neighbourhood, following a report from the hospital, the ministry said in a statement. Pictures of corpses with numbers and censored faces were posted by the ministry, showing remains in various states of decomposition on steel carriers and beds. Some of the remains were burnt. An investigation was under way to establish the identities of the deceased. 'So far, 23 corpses have been examined, and all necessary legal procedures have been taken, including documenting data and collecting samples,' the ministry said. Abu Salim was home to a militia known as the Stabilisation Support Apparatus, whose chief, Abdulghani Kikli, widely known as Ghaniwa, was killed in unconfirmed circumstances last Monday. Advertisement Kikli's killing led to the sudden defeat of the SSA by factions aligned to internationally recognised Prime Minister Abdulhamid al-Dbeibah of the Government of National Unity (GNU).
Reuters
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Reuters
At least 58 corpses found in Libyan hospital, ministry says
TRIPOLI, May 19 (Reuters) - At least 58 unidentified corpses were found on Monday in a hospital in Tripoli that was under the control of a militia whose leader was killed last week, the interior ministry said. The corpses were found in a morgue refrigerator in Abu Salim Accidents Hospital in the densely populated Abu Salim neighbourhood, following a report from the hospital, the ministry said in a statement. Pictures of corpses with numbers and censored faces were posted by the ministry, showing remains in various states of decomposition on steel carriers and beds. Some of the remains were burnt. An investigation was underway to establish the identities of the deceased. "So far, 23 corpses have been examined, and all necessary legal procedures have been taken, including documenting data and collecting samples," the ministry said. Abu Salim was home to a militia known as the Stabilisation Support Apparatus, whose chief, Abdulghani Kikli, widely known as Ghaniwa, was killed in unconfirmed circumstances last Monday. Kikli's killing led to the sudden defeat of the SSA by factions aligned to internationally recognised Prime Minister Abdulhamid al-Dbeibah of the Government of National Unity (GNU). On Tuesday, Dbeibah ordered armed groups to be dismantled, triggering the fiercest clashes Tripoli had seen in years between two armed groups. The clashes killed at least eight civilians, according to the United Nations. The corpses found on Monday are the second set of unidentified remains discovered in recent days. On Saturday, officials said nine corpses had been found in a morgue refrigerator in Al-Khadra hospital, another SSA-controlled hospital in the Abu Salim neighbourhood. The militia had not reported the corpses to the relevant authorities, the interior ministry said. Dbeibah said on Saturday that eliminating militias was an "ongoing project," as a ceasefire after last week's clashes remained in place. The GNU posted a video on Monday showing bulldozers demolishing the so-called 77 camp, one of the biggest facilities that was under control of SSA. The camp is to be turned into a national park. Libya has had little stability since a 2011 NATO-backed uprising ousted longtime autocrat Muammar Gaddafi. The country split in 2014 between rival eastern and western factions, though an outbreak of major warfare paused with a truce in 2020.
Libya Review
18-05-2025
- Politics
- Libya Review
Libya Parliament Begins PM Selection Process
The Libyan House of Representatives has begun reviewing files of candidates vying to lead a new government, as tensions rise following deadly clashes in Tripoli. On Sunday, Parliament Rapporteur Sabah Jumaa confirmed that the joint vetting committee, composed of members from both the House and the High Council of State, started examining the files at the Parliament headquarters in Benghazi. Two new candidates—University of Zawiya President Essam Boukhdair and Abdelkarim Mgueig—have joined the list, bringing the total number of nominees to 13. Jumaa noted that the committee will continue assessing the candidates over the next two days in preparation for a presentation before Parliament on Tuesday. Monday's session will focus on the latest developments in Tripoli and public demands following protests against the current government. The capital recently witnessed its worst violence in years, with fierce battles between the Stabilisation Support Apparatus and Brigade 444, leaving dozens dead and top militia leader Abdel Ghani al-Kikli killed. Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah, head of the internationally recognised Government of National Unity, reiterated on Saturday his administration's commitment to a 'Libya free of militias and corruption.' Dbeibah had earlier ordered the dismantling of armed groups, including the powerful Stabilisation Support Apparatus, which falls under the Presidential Council formed in 2021 through a UN-backed process. In parallel, High Council of State President Khaled al-Mishri announced the beginning of formal consultations with the eastern-based parliament to agree on a 'national figure' to lead a new government. This marks another step in efforts to resolve Libya's prolonged political division and move toward national elections.
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Libya's PM says eliminating militias is 'ongoing project' as ceasefire holds
By Ahmed Elumami TRIPOLI (Reuters) -Libyan Prime Minister Abdulhamid al-Dbeibah said on Saturday that eliminating militias is an "ongoing project," as a ceasefire after deadly clashes this week remained in place. "We will not spare anyone who continues to engage in corruption or extortion. Our goal is to create a Libya free of militias and corruption," Dbeibah said in a televised speech. Dbeibah is the country's internationally recognized leader in the west, based in Tripoli. After Dbeibah on Tuesday ordered the armed groups to be dismantled, Tripoli was rocked by its fiercest clashes in years between two armed groups. The clashes killed at least eight civilians, according to the United Nations. The government announced a ceasefire on Wednesday. It followed Monday's killing of major militia chief Abdulghani Kikli, widely known as Ghaniwa, and the sudden defeat of his Stabilisation Support Apparatus group by factions aligned with Dbeibah. SSA is under the Presidential Council that came to power in 2021 with the Government of National Unity of Dbeibah through a United Nations-backed process. SSA was based in the densely populated Abu Salim neighbourhood. GNU's Interior Ministry said in a statement that nine decomposed corpses were found in a morgue refrigerator in Abu Salim-based Al-Khadra hospital. It said SSA never reported them to authorities. The PM's media office posted a video of Dbeibah greeting the security force protecting the Prime Ministry Building. It said he later received delegations from elders to discuss Tripoli's situation and what he called "successful security operation in Abu Salim." "The Prime Minister stressed that this operation falls within the state's fixed vision to eliminate armed formations outside the police and army institutions," the media office said. On Friday, at least three ministers resigned in sympathy with hundreds of protesters who took to the streets calling for Dbeibah's ouster. Dbeibah did not comment on their resignations. "The protests are annoying, but I've put up with them. I know some of them are real, but a lot of them are paid," he said. The United Nations Support Mission in Libya expressed concern on Friday about the escalation of violence in Tripoli, calling on parties to protect civilians and public property. Libya has had little stability since a 2011 NATO-backed uprising ousted longtime autocrat Muammar Gaddafi. The country split in 2014 between rival eastern and western factions, though an outbreak of major warfare paused with a truce in 2020. While eastern Libya has been dominated for a decade by commander Khalifa Haftar and his Libyan National Army, control in Tripoli and western Libya has been splintered among numerous armed factions. A major energy exporter, Libya is also an important way station for migrants heading to Europe, while its conflict has drawn in foreign powers including Turkey, Russia, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates. State-oil firm NOC said on Friday that its operations at oil facilities are proceeding as normal, with oil and gas exports operating regularly.
