Qatar’s war of attrition against LNA in southern Libya

Ahmed Adel

The National Libyan Army (LNA), commanded by Gen. Khalifa Haftar, fights on different fronts with the aim of vanquishing militias that took root and grew in Libya following the 2011 uprising.

Since the start of Operation Dignity Flood in April, the National Libyan Army worked to free Libyan capital Tripoli from control by these militias. The army has already succeeded in ridding the southern part of Libya of militias in March.

Nevertheless, the same militias returned to operate in southern Libya, but on a much wider scale.

On July 7, brutal battles erupted between army units and the so-called South Protection militias which are commanded by Hassan Moussa al-Tabawi.

A civilian was killed and several others injured, following battles between the army and these militias. Dozens of families also fled the violence in Maraziq town where the battles took place in southern Libya.

The militias fighting the National Libyan Army also target civilians who back the army.

There is a growing crescendo of violence in southern Libya, most of it driven by the desire of all parties to control the oil wells in the region. The militias also make southern Libya a launching pad for their operations in Libyan cities and towns in the northern part of the restive state.

Sudanese Justice and Equality Movement

This is the most famous rebel group in Sudan. This group moved its operations to Libya in 2011 and participated in a large number of wars on Libyan territories.

The movement participated in an attack on Sabha in 2014. The movement is commanded by Khalil Ibrahim, an internal security minister in the government of ousted Sudanese president Omar al-Bashir.

Malian and Nigerian opposition movements

These movements belong to Tuareg people. They arrived in Libya from Mali, southern Algeria and northern Niger, Burkina Faso, Mauritania and Senegal. A large number of these movements have settled down in Sabha.

Most of these movements are involved in cutting roads. They participated in civil disputes across Libya.

Military Council for the Rescue of the Republic

This is one of the most prominent movements of the Chadian opposition. It is stationed in several locations south of Sabha. It is made up of 4,000 people, and the accession of officers and the Chadian rebels continues.

The leadership council of the movement is headed by Akbar Sharif Issa who is its secretary-general. He replaced Mohamed Hassan Boulmay, who was arrested by the Nigerian government along with several of his aides when he entered the country on a visit from their Libyan positions.

Accord for Change

The Chadian Front is led by military leaders Mahdi Ali Mohamed and Mohamed Nuri. Nuri is a leader of the Chadian opposition. He is also a former minister of the Anacza tribe of the Chadian Dazajra.

Both leaders have close ties to Qatar through an alliance with the forces in Misurata, where in January 2014 they participated in the occupation of Sabha.