Libyan armed groups clash near Tripoli amid fragile security deal
Rival armed groups linked to the Tripoli-based Government of National Unity (GNU) clashed in Janzour, west of Tripoli, according to the Moroccan government-friendly outlet North Africa Post on September 22nd.
The GNU is led in western Libya by Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah, who is under severe political pressure due to perceived failures in progressing necessary reforms and mishandling of militia forces.
Mahmoud Boujaafar’s Joint Force ignited the clashes by storming the Sixth Brigade headquarters led by Munir Al-Sweih, provoking a counterattack with heavy weapons.
As a result, the violence forced the closure of the coastal highway to Zawiya and the central vegetable market, following the deployment of military enforcements in the area.
Violence in Tripoli has grown in recent months due to the influence of militias both affiliated with and opposing the GNU. A spate of attacks on the UN headquarters underscores the fragility of the security situation in the Libyan capital.
Recently, there has been increased sensitivity after a tentative security agreement was reached between the GNU and the Special Deterrence Force, also known as Radaa, facilitating the withdrawal of Radaa forces from Mitiga airport, Turkish monitoring to prevent hostilities and a reshuffle of the Judicial Police.
There was hope that the security deal would alleviate some of the pressure on Dbeibah, but the endemic presence of armed factions in Libya, and the absence of a stable political framework mean that it is unlikely, and more clashes will continue to erupt.
Libya’s political division between the UN-backed GNU based in Tripoli and the rival eastern administration under Osama Hammad, backed by Khalifa Haftar, has created a political vacuum, which has enabled armed militias to exert their influence.
Critics have accused the GNU of fuelling militia violence to serve political interests after similar clashes occurred in the coastal city of Sabratha, as scenes reminiscent of Libya’s previous chaos continue to become more prominent.
North Africa Post, Maghrebi.org, Libya Review
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