File image.
Clashes renewed in the Libyan capital, Tripoli, which is controlled by the internationally-recognized Government of National Unity (GNU), on May 14 following a short pause.
Different militia groups clashed with each other in the neighborhoods of Ain Zara, Ras Hassan, and Bin Ashur in the capital.
Libyan media said flights were suspended at Mitiga airport due to the clashes, while the Education Ministry suspended classes at schools in the capital.
Meanwhile, the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) expressed concern over the ongoing clashes in a statement posted to the X social network.
“UNSMIL is deeply alarmed by escalating violence in densely populated neighborhoods of Tripoli for the second night in a row, placing countless civilians at grave risk,” it said in the statement, calling for an “immediate, unconditional” ceasefire in all populated areas.
The fighting stemmed from the assassination of Abdel Ghani al-Kikli, widely known as “Gheniwa”, who is the head of the Stability Support Authority (SSA) that is backed by the Presidential Council. The SAA is regarded as the most powerful militia in Tripoli.
Gheniwa was killed on May 12 during a meeting at the 444 Brigade’s base, a group loyal to Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah who is allied to Turkey.
Syrian mercenaries, who were brought to Libya in 2020 by Turkey, were reportedly involved in the assassination of Gheniwa.
The first round of clashes came to a halt on May 13, with Dbeibah declaring a military operation had dismantled “irregular” militias.
The SSA reportedly operated prisons and held influence over ministries and financial institutions in the capital. After the first round of clashes, many prisoners, including suspects affiliated with ISIS, were reportedly freed from the militia’s prisons.
The NATO-backed armed uprising that toppled and killed Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011 left Libya in a state of choice.
Now, the country is split between the GNU in Tripoli, which is supported by an array of militia groups and Syrian mercenaries, and a rival government based in Benghazi backed by the House of Representatives and the Libyan National Army.
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proxies fighting proxies. nato is just the worst