Janzour clashes: GNA militia drops, confirming LNA’s strategy

Ali Ragab

Clashes between Libyan Government of National Accord (GNA) militias in the city of Janzour near the capital Tripoli revealed the course of Fayez al-Sarraj’s terrorist militias and the slogans raised by the GNA, confirming the importance of the Libyan National Army’s (LNA) strategy of disbanding and unarming the militias, as they pose a threat to the stability and safety of the Libyan state.

Violent clashes erupted in Janzour on Thursday, July 9 between Fursan Janzour (Janzour Knights) and a militia affiliated with Mohammed Fakkar, amounting to a massacre among the armed militias and endangering civilians. These militias are affiliated with the GNA Ministry Interior, which is headed by Fathi Bashagha, who was previously in charge of the Hatin militia in Misrata. The clashes broke out due to a dispute over control of petrol stations, as militias widely smuggle diesel in Libya’s western region. This occurred just two kilometers from the headquarters of the United Nations Mission in Janzour and the residence of the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General.

The clashes erupted after gunmen from the GNA’s Abu Salim Central Security Battalion killed Hamid Abu Jaafar (nicknamed al-Kabsh), the brother of Fursan Janzour commander Mahmoud Abu Jaafar (known as al-Shiba). Hamid was killed by Fakkar (nicknamed al-Kiki), who is a member of the Gniwa Brigade. Two of Fakkar’s brothers were killed in Tripoli last year.

“For the past two days, there have been attempts to arbitrate the mind and arrest them after intimidating the people over the past few days, but we were surprised today by treachery and direct shooting on one of the patrols,” Fursan Janzour stated on Facebook.

Libya media reported that Fakkar and his brother were then killed and mutilated by members of Fursan Janzour in retaliation for the killing of Hamid, whose body was transferred to a health clinic in central Janzour.

The clashes in Janzour confirm neighboring countries’ fears of the militia conflict and the continued chaos in Libya, as well as the slogans raised by the Sarraj government, which is merely a government of militias and extremist groups.

The Janzour clashes also support the LNA’s repeated demands to disband and unarm the militias in Tripoli. LNA spokesman Major General Ahmed al-Mesmari said that the LNA deals with all countries that offer effective solutions to end the Libyan crisis and the control by militias and mercenaries, adding that the Air Force is conducting direct reconnaissance missions ver the entire Western Mountain region. He pointed out that the LNA forces have confronted attempts by armed militias to advance for eight days from all axes of combat.

Mesmari noted that the military units managed to eliminate a large number of terrorists over the past week and that the LNA is a national army fighting for peace and stability, adding that the LNA was fully involved in all calls to implement a solution, but Sarraj’s GNA has submitted to the orders of Turkey and Qatar, lacking any vision for a solution.

Meanwhile, the United States renewed its call for the Libyan parties to resume negotiations. The US State Department issued a statement on June 26 that it had stressed in a recent meeting with the GNA the need to dismantle the militias.

The State Department also pointed out that “the end of the siege on Tripoli created a new opportunity and necessity to address the issue of militias in the east and west of Libya.”

Observers believe that the Janzour clashes reinforces the LNA’s position both at home and internationally, as there can be no stability in Libya except by getting rid of the militias and their supporters.