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Militias of Libya
The many militia groups and "security organizations" evolved from the myriad of militias that filled a security vacuum after the revolution of 2011 that overthrew Muammar Gaddafi.
Map by Congressional Research Service, Dec 2023
Western Libya Faction
The militias in the western part of Libya are under the coordination of the Libyan government based in Tripoli. This government is recognized by the United Nations. Turkey is a major ally of this government.
Leaders. The interim government is headed by Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah. Mohammed Takal was chosen as President of the High State Council (HSC) in August 2023. He replaced former head Khaled al-Mishri.
Armed Groups. The hybrid armed militias have acquired arrest, surveillance, and detention authorities through presidential decrees. Tactics of the various groups include setting up traffic checkpoints and patrolling neighborhoods under their influence.
These groups operate independently and were granted special status by the prime minister and the presidential council in 2021. The local militias and tribal intermediaries are difficult to dismantle as the government ceded too much authority to them. The network of "hybrid" semi-official armed groups that are funded by the government control territory, resources, and criminal enterprises.
Eastern Libya Faction
The eastern portion of Libya is ruled by renegade General Kahlifa Haftar. The House of Representatives is situated in the eastern city of Benghazi. Haftar is backed by the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, and Russia. The Libya Arab Armed Forces (LAAF) is more organized and controlled in the east than the militias are in the west. In 2019 and 2020 Haftar attempted to capture Tripoli but was unsuccessful. The conflict ended in October 2020 with the signing of a ceasefire.
News Articles and Commentary
February 21, 2024, "Libya armed groups agree to leave Tripoli after deadly fighting: Minister", Aljazeera.
January 16, 2024, "Deja vu: The trajectory of Libyan armed groups in 2024", by Stephanie T. Williams, Brookings Institute.
July 13, 2023, "A Network of Insecurity and Violence - the Issue of Militias Operating in Libya", by Addison Emig, Wilson Center.
January 27, 2023, "Libya's Hybrid Armed Groups Dilemma", by Stephanie T. Williams, Brookings Institute.
2023, "Libyas Militias Have Become the State", by Wolfram Lacher, German Institute for International and Security Affairs.
2018. "Tripoli's Militia Cartel", by Wolfram Lacher, German Institute for International and Security Affairs.
Endnotes
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