October 29, 2019 The LNA advanced west from the Yarmouk Camp. Wed 22 May 2019 15.15 EDT. He has issued fatwas ordering Muslims to obey the GNC,[153] and fatwas ordering Muslims to fight against Haftar's forces[154], In March 2013, Sadiq Ghariani, issued a fatwa against the UN Report on Violence Against Women and Girls. [173], Ajdabiya had its own Shura Council of Benghazi Revolutionaries, which is the most ISIL linked among the three Shura councils. He condemned the UN report for "advocating immorality and indecency in addition to rebelliousness against religion and clear objections to the laws contained in the Quran and Sunnah". [151][152], Although Islamists were outnumbered by Liberals and Centrists in the GNC, in May 2013 they lobbied for a law "banning virtually everyone who had participated in Gaddafi's government from holding public office". UN investigators said in the 376-page report that counterterrorism operations in Libya against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL or ISIS) and al-Qaeda members by the government and Haftars forces continue to disrupt both armed groups and reduced their capacity to conduct operations. [116][165], The conflict escalated on 13 July 2014, when Tripoli's Islamists and Misratan militias launched Operation Libya Dawn to seize Tripoli International Airport, capturing it from the Zintan militia on 23 August. Commentary. While keeping their enmity towards Haftar, the Amazigh militias mostly became neutral later in the war especially since the formation of GNA. [245], Dignitaries from Tripoli, Sahel and Mountain regions in Libya expressed discomposure at the UN envoy's briefing to Libya, Ghassan Salame at the Security Council, for equalizing the aggressors (Haftar's forces backed by UAE and Egypt) and the defender (GNA forces). Libya Is Entering Another Civil War. Share Print this article. This was less than a sixth of 2019 and comparable to countrys lows during the civil war after 2014 but it manifested itself much faster than that. [138] Other Libyans rejecting the proposed mandate rallied in Tripoli's Martyrs Square and outside Benghazi's Tibesti Hotel, calling for the freeze of political parties and the re-activation of the country's security system. Four out of the five cargo airplanes belonged to the UAE. Omar al-Hasi, the internationally unrecognized Prime Minister of the Libya Dawn-backed Tripoli government, speaking of his allies' actions, has stated that: "This is a correction of the revolution." [232] Among these, Sigma Airlines was also found involved in the air-borne hard cash shipments for the Khalifa Haftars government from the United Arab Emirates, Russia and the United Kingdom, among others. [159] Under sharia law they were facing a possible death penalty. [215] The conference was prepared over 18 months during 2018 and 2019 and was planned to take place 1416 April 2019. The First Libyan Civil War was an armed conflict in 2011 in the North African country of Libya which was fought between forces which were loyal to Colonel Muammar Gaddafi and foreign supported groups which were seeking to oust his government. As a consequence, the majority of the House of Representatives were forced to relocate to Tobruk, aligning themselves with Haftar's forces and eventually nominating him army chief. Parties holding majority of seats and some holding minority of seats began to use boycotts or threats of boycotts which increased division and suppressed relevant debates by removing them from the congressional agenda;[135] voting to declare sharia law and establishing a special committee to "review all existing laws to guarantee they comply with Islamic law";[136] imposing gender segregation and compulsory hijab at Libyan universities; and refusing to hold new elections when its electoral mandate expired in January 2014[137] until General Khalifa Haftar launched a large-scale military offensive against the Islamists in May 2014, code-named Operation Dignity (Arabic: ; 'Amaliyat al-Karamah). The Libyan National Army, formally known as "Libyan Arab Armed Forces", was gradually formed by General Khalifa Haftar as he fought in what he named Operation Dignity. Residents of the eastern city of Shahat, along with protesters from Bayda and Sousse, staged a large demonstration, rejecting the GNC's extension plan and demanding the resignation of the congress followed by a peaceful power transition to a legitimate body. Libya western and central Libya Shield force fought alongside Libya Dawn and were disbanded with it in 2015. As of 2019, since the start of the Second Libyan Civil War in 2014, the Libyan armed forces, composed to a large degree of militias, have been partially led by the internationally recognised Government of National Accord (GNA) in Tripoli, while remaining highly divided between those nominally led by the GNA and those nominally led by Khalifa Haftar in command of the Libyan National Army General Haftar launched an offensive to oust President Serraj and his Government of National Accord (GNA), which is recognised by the UN. After the GNC was forced to accept new elections, Ali Tekbali was elected to the new House of Representatives. The National Oil Corporation (NOC) denounced calls to blockade oil fields prior to the Berlin Conference on 19 January 2020, calling it a criminal act. However, the elections did not necessarily create a strong government because the Parliament was fragmented due to the lack of organized political parties in Libya post-revolution. They said Salame's statements made both the parties equal amid Haftar's offensive in Tripoli and the war crimes committed against civilians, including children. [134], The GNC also included members associated with conservative Islamist groups as well as revolutionary groups (thuwwar). Ambassador", "Jihadists Now Control Secretive U.S. Base in Libya", "QI.T.57.02. Since June, direct fighting between Libya [175] Opponents of Haftar and the House of Representatives' government in Tripoli claim he is attempting a coup. [149] The Islamist forces at Camp 27 have subsequently been described as part of the Libya Shield Force. That was the blunt assessment of UN Special Representative to Libya, Ghassan Salam, who also heads the UNSMIL [] Now with the LNAs loss of Gharayan, the US-inspired civil war in Libya is likely to rage again. The LNA launched Operation End of Treachery July 1 after a GNA ground offensive pushed Haftars army back out of the city of Gharian, which had served as the Briefing Paper: Who is Fighting Whom in Tripoli: How the 2019 Civil War is Transforming Libyas Military Landscape Format Analysis Source. [150] Wershefana armed groups have also been involved in a long-standing[peacockterm] tribal conflict with the neighbouring Zawia city since 2011. Save Share on Twitter. This offensive resulted in ISIL losing control of all significant territories previously held in Libya. [122], In addition to those three factions, there are: the Islamist Shura Council of Benghazi Revolutionaries, led by Ansar al-Sharia, which had the support of the GNC and was defeated in Benghazi in 2017;[123][124][125] the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant's (ISIL's) Libyan provinces;[126] the Shura Council of Mujahideen in Derna which expelled ISIL from Derna in July 2015 and was later itself defeated in Derna by the Tobruk government in 2018;[127] as well as other armed groups and militias whose allegiances often change. [128][129] Later in 2016, forces loyal to Khalifa al-Ghawil attempted a coup d'tat against Fayez al-Sarraj and the Presidential Council of GNA. 15 April 2019 New escalation in Libya's civil war. The prosecutor said that actions endanger lives and warned of possible war crimes due to current affairs. [193], Since Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar had captured the ports of Libya's state-run oil company, the National Oil Corporation, in Es Sider and Ra's Lanuf, oil production has risen from 220,000 barrels a day to about 600,000 barrels per day. However, his actions had little effect on the GNC, which called his actions "an attempted coup" and called Haftar himself "ridiculous" and labelled him an aspiring dictator. [140][141] He was considered an independent Islamist and a compromise candidate acceptable to liberal members of the congress, as he was elected with 96 out of a total of 184 votes by the GNC. According to Reuters, Turkey and Russia were the main power brokers in the Libyan war, backing opposing sides. [204], On 7 February 2020, the UNHCR reported that the overall number of migrants intercepted by the Libyan coast guard in January surged 121% against the same period in 2019. [206], On 21 April 2020, the UN took in to consideration the "dramatic increase" of shelling on densely populated areas of Tripoli, and claimed that continuation of war is worsening the humanitarian situation of Libya. Russia supported the eastern-based forces of Khalifa Haftar, while Turkey backed Libya's internationally recognised Government of National Accord. [196][197], In a report, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) revealed that it had registered over 45,600 refugees and asylum seekers in Libya during 2019. Omar al-Hasi, the internationally unrecognized Prime Minister of the Libya Dawn-backed Tripoli government, speaking of his allies' actions, has stated that: "This is a correction of the revolution." April 7, 2019 - [133] On 10 March 2021, an interim unity government was formed, and is slated to remain in place until the 2021 Libyan general election in December.[98]. See a new and updated version here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4fsM2zTE00Q Music and Sources are in the credits. Last modified on Wed 22 May 2019 15.31 EDT . [155][156] Soon after the Grand Mufti issued a clarification op-ed that there should be no discrimination between men and women yet women have a greater role in the family.[157]. Civil war being fought with German weapons? Libyas New Civil War And What the United States Can Do About It. House of Representatives (Tobruk-based)[1][2], Wagner Group(since 2018)[12][13][14][15][16] by Syria Justice and Accountability Centre (SJAC), dedicated to "a Syria defined by justice, respect for human rights, and rule of law." A Libyan flag is seen outside an oil refinery in Zawiya on Sept. 23, 2011. Khalifa Haftar and his supporters describe Operation Dignity as a "correction to the path of the revolution" and a "war on terrorism". [171] Benghazi remained contested between pro-Haftar forces and radical Islamists. United Arab Emirates[17][20][21][22] Fighters aligned with the GNA clash with Haftar's forces on the outskirts of Libya, May 2019 Goran Tomasevic / Reuters. Sadiq Ghariani, the Grand Mufti of Libya, is perceived to be linked closely to Islamist parties. The utility and limitations of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are once again apparent in Libyas civil war. Base map by Koen Adams of onestopmap.com, with territorial control by Evan Centanni and Djordje Djukic. There existed reservations that such a law would eliminate technocratic expertise needed in Libya at the time. Warning: This site contains images and graphic descriptions of extreme violence and/or its effects. [187] A minority portion of the Libya Shield Force had been reported to not have joined the Islamist forces, and it is not clear if this means they had joined the LNA forces. [214], A meeting called the Libyan National Conference was planned in Ghadames for organising elections and a peace process in Libya. [231], In September 2020, the European Union issued sanctions against two people, who were indirectly or directly engaged in serious human rights abuses. Haftar started the war on Tripoli in April 2019 with the upper hand, making quick gains with powerful Wing Loong II drones, fighter jets and Pantsir ISIL in Libya finances its activities through robbery, kidnap for ransom, extortion of Libyan citizens and the cross-border smuggling of artefacts and other commodities, the report said. April 4, 2019 - General Haftar orders his Libyan National Army (LNA) to advance on the capital city Tripoli, the base of the countrys UN-backed government, the GNA. The first commercial flight between Tripoli and Benghazi took place that same day. What went wrong? The UN report published on Tuesday named five Sudanese and four Chadian armed groups, which it said contributed several thousand combatants to both sides of the civil war. The first commercial flight between Tripoli and Benghazi took place that same day. [189], Salafists, called Madkhalis by their enemies, fought alongside Haftar LNA since the beginning against the Islamist militias, especially Shura Council of Benghazi Revolutionaries and ISIL whom they considered Khawarij after a fatwa from Saudi Rabee al-Madkhali.[190]. [228][229], The United Nations Security Council received a confidential report in September 2020, which provided details of the extensive violations of the international arms embargo on Libya, since the beginning of 2020. An unknown number of people were sentenced to death by Libyan civil and military courts since 2011, often after trials marred by due process violations. Drafted by Britain, it received 14 votes, while Russia abstained. [169], On 16 January 2015, the Operation Dignity and Operation Libya Dawn factions agreed on a ceasefire. Report names five Sudanese and four Chadian armed groups it says contributed combatants to Libyas civil war. During Nouri Abusahmain's presidency of the GNC and subsequent to GNC's decision to enforce sharia law in December 2013, gender segregation and compulsory hijab were being imposed in Libyan universities from early 2014, provoking strong criticism from Women's Rights groups. Sign in and save to read later. [173], Since GNA started working from Tripoli in March 2015, Libya Dawn coalition the largest of Pro-GNC militias has been disbanded and most of its forces changed allegiances to GNA.[174]. [184] The GNA never recognized the BDB with some members calling for it to be demarcated as a "terrorist organization".[185]. Its leader Muhammad al-Zawi and a number of the council pledging allegiance to ISIL played a major role in strengthening the Islamist group grip on Sirte. When the head of GNA Fayez Sarraj arrived in Tripoli, Libya Dawn has been disbanded as the interests of the militias forming it conflicted when some of them choose to support GNA others chose to stay loyal to GNC. Polls demonstrated that a large majority of the Libyan people supported the exclusion of high-ranking Qaddafi-regime officials.[134]. Nov 2019 LIBYAS CONFLICT A very short introduction by Wolfgang Pusztai Freelance security and policy analyst * INTRODUCTION Eight years after the revolution, Libya is in the mid-dle of a civil war. The commander of the self-styled Libyan National Army (LNA), Khalifa Haftar, has launched a new foreign-backed air campaign to unseat the U.N.-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) in Tripoli. Yet, the Shura Council never pledged allegiance to ISIL. The law particularly impacts elite expatriates and leaders of liberal parties. The interim government struggled to control well-armed militias and armed groups that established during the revolution. Later in 2013, lawyer Hamida Al-Hadi Al-Asfar, advocate of women's rights, was abducted, tortured and killed. It is alleged she was targeted for criticising the Grand Mufti's declaration. Head of UN-supported government proposes presidential and parliamentary elections to end Libyas long-running conflict. The Second Libyan Civil War is an ongoing conflict between rival factions seeking control of Libya. IBRAHIM ALI ABU BAKR TANTOUSH", "Libyan Militia Units That Aided U.S. Marines During Embassy Attack Linked To Al-Qaeda", "Grand Mufti supports Congress remaining in office, forbids action against it", "Libya's Grand Mufti Issues Fatwa Against U.N. Report on Women's Rights", "Libya's "Grand Mufti" Issues Fatwa Against UN Report on Violence Against Women and Girls | Viva Libya! [138][139], The 2012 elections, overseen by the Libyan electoral commission with the support of the UN Special Mission In Libya (UNSMIL) and nongovernmental organizations like the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES), have been considered "fair and free" by most Libyans. After being accused of kidnapping, ransoming and other crimes, a GNA joint force made up mostly from Zintan brigades defeated them[who?] [193] Over 4,000 people have died from the fighting,[110] and some sources claim nearly a third of the country's population has fled to Tunisia as refugees. Confrontation with the US. Probes Tie Between UAE and Russian Mercenaries", "U.S. Navy SEALs take over oil tanker for return to Libya", "U.S. Embassy in Libya evacuates personnel", "Islamic State leader in Libya 'killed in US airstrike, "President Obama: Libya aftermath 'worst mistake' of presidency", "First on CNN: US bombs ISIS camps in Libya, dozens killed", "US strikes Libya for first time under Trump", "US airstrike against Daesh in Libya kills 11 | News , Middle East | THE DAILY STAR", "17 ISIS militants killed by third strike by US Africa Command on southern Libya", "US Africa Command kills 7 ISIS terrorists in new airstrikes on southern Libya | The Libya Observer", "Six Libyan families sue Haftar, UAE at a US court for war crimes", "Judge allows US suit against Libyan commander to move ahead", "Ukrainian "footprint" in Libyan civil war Russian disinformation media", "Kazakhstan Suspends Three Airlines For Breaking UN Libya Embargo", "Turkey and UAE openly flouting UN arms embargo to fuel war in Libya", "Libya: EU imposes additional sanctions for human rights abuses and arms embargo violations", "Libya stripped of right to host 2017 Nations Cup", How Interventions Come Back to Haunt Us: Demolishing Libya, Armed Forces of the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Fist Crushing a U.S. Outsiders Battle to Rebuild Libya Is Fueling the Civil War There 2019, 12:22 PM. For the 8-month civil war in 2011, see, Background of discontent with General National Congress, Libya Revolutionaries Operations Room and kidnapping of Ali Zeidan, Expansion of armed groups during the GNC's term, GNC extends its mandate without elections, Foreign reactions, involvement, and evacuations, CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (, military situation in the Libyan Civil War, Popular Front for the Liberation of Libya, Shura Council of Benghazi Revolutionaries, Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant's (ISIL's) Libyan provinces, permanent ceasefire agreement in all areas of Libya, Learn how and when to remove this template message, French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle, American intervention in Libya (2015present), Turkish military intervention in the Second Libyan Civil War, "Rival Libyan factions sign UN-backed peace deal", "Libya's rival factions sign UN peace deal, despite resistance", "2 Ranking Libyan Officials Side With Rogue General", "Libyan special forces commander says his forces join renegade general", "Warshefana take Camp 27 from Libya Shield", "Sudanese rebel group acknowledges fighting for Khalifa Haftar's forces in Libya", "Sudanese rebels are fighting alongside Dignity Operation in Libya's Derna", "Terror suspects killed in large LNA operation in south Libya", "Gaddafi loyalists join West in battle to push Islamic State from Libya", "After six years in jail, Gaddafi's son Saif plots return to Libya's turbulent politics", "Jordan arming Libya's Haftar with armored vehicles and weapons", "Wagner, shadowy Russian military group, 'fighting in Libya, "Russian Snipers, Missiles and Warplanes Try to Tilt Libyan War", "Number of Russian mercenaries fighting for Haftar in Libya rises to 1400, report says", "Macron slams Turkey's 'criminal' role in Libya, Putin's ambivalence", "Exclusive: Russian private security firm says it had armed men in east Libya", "UAE and Egypt behind bombing raids against Libyan militias, say US officials", "Is Egypt bombing the right militants in Libya? [170] The country was then led by two separate governments, with Tripoli and Misrata controlled by forces loyal to Libya Dawn and the new GNC in Tripoli, while the international community recognized Abdullah al-Thani's government and its parliament in Tobruk. [223] On 12 February, the United Nations Security Council adopted a resolution demanding a "lasting cease-fire" in Libya. After erupting in 2014, the conflict is mostly between : [150] The relationship between Al-Qaeda and Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb is unclear, and their relationship with other Libyan Islamist groups is unclear. ", "LNA targets Tripoli and Zuwara but pulls back troops in Aziziya area", "Ghwell's Libyan National Guard militia joining fighting in south", "Sudan militarily backs Libyan rebels: Bashir to Youm7", "Egypt and United Arab Emirates Said to Have Secretly Carried Out Libya Airstrikes", "Libya, Turkey agree on resuming signed security training programs", "LNA's Mismari accuses Sudan, Qatar and Iran of backing terrorism in Libya", " ", " ", "American forces kill senior al Qaeda leader in Libya", "Libyan Islamist group Ansar al-Sharia says it is dissolving", "Libyan revolutionary factions form Defend Benghazi Brigades", "Benghazi Defense Brigades advance toward Benghazi", "Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb says Mokhtar Belmokhtar is 'alive and well, "Libyan city declares itself part of Islamic State caliphate", "Islamic State Expanding into North Africa", "Islamic State Sprouting Limbs Beyond Its Base", "ISIS, Al Qaeda In Africa: US Commander Warns Of Collaboration Between AQIM And Islamic State Group", "Libyan lawmakers approve gov't of PM-designate Dbeibah", "Trkiye yerel yaplar meru zemine ekiyor", "Hassi changes his mind, hands over to Ghwell", "Ansar al Sharia Libya fights on under new leader", "Leader of Libyan Islamists Ansar al-Sharia dies of wounds", "Wissam Ben Hamid dead says arrested Ansar spokesman; 13 militants reported to have blown themselves up", "Islamists clash in Derna, Abu Sleem leader reported killed", "Statement from Pentagon Press Secretary Peter Cook on Nov. 13 airstrike in Libya > U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE > News Release View", "Pentagon: Islamic State has lost its safe haven in Sirte, Libya", "Human Rights Solidarity: About 4000 people were victims of armed fighting in Libya in 2018", "Death toll of fighting in Libyan capital rises to 1,093: WHO - Xinhua | English.news.cn", "Libya's Second Civil War: How did it come to this? ", " : .. ", "Lawyer Who Supported the Rights of Women in Libya, Found Dead | Viva Libya! Saif al Islam has called for national elections since early 2019, but the elections have been delayed, due to serious clashes between Libyan political factions. [1][2] The Government of National Accord was formed as a result of this agreement, and its first meeting took place in Tunis on 2 January 2016. In April 2014, an anti-terrorist training base called "Camp 27", located between Tripoli and the Tunisian border, was taken over by forces fighting under the control of Abd al-Muhsin Al-Libi, also known as Ibrahim Tantoush,[148] a long-serving Al-Qaeda organizer and former member of the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group. As of August 2020 6070% of the Libyan population lives in areas controlled by the GNA. By Tracey Shelton. [150] The Libya Shield Force was already identified by some observers as linked to al-Qaeda as early as 2012. Send by email. Sigma Airlines was also involved in a bank-note delivery made on 29 January 2019 for the LNA, using a commercial network operating through the UAE, Ukraine, Jordan and Belarus. July 11, 2019. Libyas Fayez al-Sarraj calls for elections in 2019 to end war. A Profile of Chad's General Mahamat Mahdi Ali", "Rebel Incursion Exposes Chad's Weaknesses", "300 pro-Turkey Syrian rebels sent to Libya to support UN-backed gov't: watchdog - Xinhua | English.news.cn", "France's Macron slams Turkey's 'criminal' role in Libya", "France-Turkey spat over Libya arms exposes NATO's limits", "Turkey warns Egypt over Libya and lashes out at Macron's role", "End of Tripoli siege raises fears of full-scale proxy war in Libya", "Di Maio assures Al-Sarraj of Italy's support for GNA and political track", "Abdulrahman Sewehli thanks Qatari Emir for his support", "Sudan reiterates support for Presidency Council but concerned about Darfuri rebels in Libya", "Pakistan offers to help train Libyan Army | The Libya Observer", "Libyans Fear Rapprochement Between GNA, Pakistan", Iran FM voices support for Turkey-backed Libya government, "Morocco renews support to GNA as only legitimate party in Libya | The North Africa Post", "Serraj on another Algeria visit seeking solution to Libyan political impasse", "Tunisian President reiterates his country's position towards GNA as the legitimate authority in Libya", "Malta teams up with Turkey in an attempt to make Libya stable", "Al-Serraj and Mogherini discuss more EU support for GNA", "Libya Foreign Ministry: 'Britain stands with GNA, "US Ambassador Norland reaffirms partnership with GNA Libya and urges all parties in Libya to support peace", "US Ambassador Reaffirms Partnership with GNA, Urges All Parties to Support Peace", "Libya's self-declared National Salvation government stepping down", "Can Cairo talks succeed in uniting Libya's divided armed forces?