Conflict between militias in western Libya exposes GNA’s security failure

Mustafa Kamel

The escalation of clashes between militias loyal to the Government of National Accord (GNA) in western Libya has led to the emergence of a state of division, highlighting the reality of the deteriorating security situation in light of a struggle for influence amid the GNA’s impotence. This comes as local and international efforts continue aiming to reach a comprehensive political settlement to end the Libyan conflict.

Clashes continue

Clashes renewed in the middle of this week between groups affiliated with the GNA in Tripoli, as the Tajoura Lions Brigade announced that it had taken control of the headquarters of the Daman Brigade and expelled its elements from the region a few days after the outbreak of the conflict between the two parties, which led to multiple deaths and injuries.

The Tajoura Lions Brigade issued a statement in which it confirmed that its members had expelled the Daman militia members from the region after invading the latter’s headquarters, backed by elements of the Rahbat al-Duru’ militia led by Bashir Khalafallah, known as al-Bugra. Tajoura Lions leader Mohammed Mansour al-Waer called on the members of the Daman Brigade to leave their weapons and go to their homes, after he described them as having “clean hands and not involved in suspicious acts of theft and extortion.”

Meanwhile, other clashes erupted between a Zintan militia and a militia from Zawiya on a road west of Tripoli, with the use of heavy weapons, which caused terror to civilians after shells fell in residential neighborhoods and caused huge explosions.

The United Nations Support Mission in Libya condemned the clashes and called for an “immediate cessation” of hostilities in the capital, Tripoli. It added in a statement that it is “following with great concern the clashes with heavy weapons between two armed groups in the residential neighborhood of Tajoura in Tripoli, which resulted in damage to private property and endangered the lives of civilians.”

Security gap

The resumption of clashes between militias in western Libya clearly revealed the inability of the GNA to curb the power of the militias, which are considered the ultimate in command in Libya’s western region, especially in Tripoli.

Observers believe that the militias depend on Fayez al-Sarraj’s GNA to legitimize their existence, as this government is nothing but an umbrella for armed groups that it considers the basis of its military and security forces.

The clashes prompted residents to protest against the deteriorating security and living conditions there, and they closed the streets of Tajoura with dirt and stone mounds, which prompted the GNA Defense Minister Salah Eddine al-Namrush to announce the dissolution of the Daman and Tajoura Lions brigades and refer their leaders to the military prosecutor for an investigation into the clashes.

Informed sources quoted Namrush as saying, “We gave instructions to use force against the conflicting parties if the shooting did not stop immediately.”

Meanwhile, political efforts continue towards reaching a consensus between the parties, with the resumption of the second round of negotiations in Bouznika, Morocco after being stalled for several days.

The two negotiating Libyan delegations ended the second round of negotiations on Saturday, October 3, amid news of understandings about the criteria that will be adopted to choose who occupies the sovereign positions in Libya.