North Africa | Libya: Fighting after death of militia leader
Clashes between armed groups erupted Tuesday night in Libya's capital, Tripoli, after influential militia leader Abdel Ghani al-Kikli, also known as "Gheniwa," was killed by unknown assailants. Al-Kikli was considered a close ally of Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah and had increasingly clashed with other armed groups over territorial and economic spheres of influence in recent months.
Fighting also broke out in densely populated neighborhoods. Eyewitnesses reported heavy weapon use, explosions, and military convoys rolling into the capital. The exact number of casualties remained unclear as of Tuesday afternoon. The Libyan transitional government temporarily declared a state of emergency and urged the population to stay at home. The Ministry of Education suspended classes for Tuesday, hospitals went into emergency mode, and flights to Tripoli were diverted to Misrata Airport in eastern Libya.
Al-Kikli was the leader of the Stability Support Apparatus (SSA), a militia and coast guard officially subordinate to the Presidential Council in Tripoli, but de facto operating independently. In recent years, the force, established in 2021, has also been involved in human trafficking. His death highlights the ongoing instability in the oil-rich country, where, despite a formal ceasefire in place since 2020, two rival governments in the west and east, with militias affiliated with them, are fighting for influence. However, observers suspect the 444th Brigade, part of the Ministry of Defense, which is also affiliated with the western Libyan government, as the mastermind behind al-Kikli's assassination.
Fighting between militias regularly breaks out in Libya. Dozens of people died in 2023. The United Nations warned of a renewed escalation and called on the conflicting parties to lay down their weapons. "Attacks against civilians and civilian facilities can constitute war crimes," the UN Support Mission in Libya emphasized in a statement.
According to the national unity government in Tripoli, the Ministry of Defense has now taken full control of the Abu Salim district, which has been particularly affected by fighting. In an official statement, the ministry said the military operation had been "successfully concluded."
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