27 dead and over 100 injured in fighting between two militias loyal to Libya’s Tripoli-based government

Fighting broke out on Monday between the powerful 444th brigade and the Rada Force or the Special Deterrence Forces (SDF), both working under Libya’s so-called National Unity Government (GNU) led by Abdul Hameid Dbeibah

August 16, 2023 by Peoples Dispatch
Libya militias clash
(Photo: Libya Observer)

Fighting between two rival militias in Libya’s capital, Tripoli, went on for the second day on Tuesday, August 15. The fighting has left at least 27 people dead and over 100 others injured, Al-Jazeera reported.  

Clashes were reported from different parts of the city along with large-scale destruction. The Libyan Red Crescent claimed it evacuated dozens of families from different locations. The government has shut down Tripoli’s civilian airport. 

The gun fighting between the powerful 444th brigade and the Rada Force or the Special Deterrence Forces (SDF), both working under Libya’s so-called National Unity Government (GNU) led by Abdul Hameid Dbeibah, erupted on Monday when the SDF arrested Mohammad Hamza, commander of the 444th brigade, from the Mitiga airport in Tripoli as he was set to board a flight to the eastern Libyan city of Misrata, Libya Observer reported. Hamza was accompanying Prime Minister Dbeibah. 

Though the SDF is not part of the GNU’s Interior Ministry, it is affiliated to the Presidential Council backing the Dbeibah government and is also funded by it. The SDF’s commander is Abdel Raouf Kara. The militia claims to be vigilant against criminal activities in the capital. 

The United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) issued a formal statement on Tuesday expressing worry about the possible impact of the violence on civilians and the ongoing political process in the country. It called on all parties for “immediate de-escalation” and an end to the ongoing armed clashes. 

Ever since the NATO-led invasion in 2011, Libya has been marred with lawlessness, infighting, and war. Following a UN-led peace process, a ceasefire was agreed to by all parties in the country in 2020. However, despite the ceasefire in place, the UN peace process has failed to take root. 

There are two rival governments in Libya now backed by different rival political and military establishments and militias trying to take control over the country’s power centers and resources.  

The government in Tripoli is backed by militias loyal to the Presidential Council whereas another government in Sirte is backed by the Libyan Parliament and warlord Khalifa Haftar. 

Tripoli has faced several rounds of violence in the last few years, mostly between the militias loyal to the GNU but also with forces loyal to the government in Sirte, killing scores of people.