Armed clashes erupted in Tripoli, Libya’s capital, on Friday night, Saturday, between militias loyal to Prime Minister of the Government of National Unity, Abdel Hamid Dabaiba, and militias loyal to Prime Minister-designate, Fathi Bashagha, and lasted until dawn today, Sunday, revealing the military division of the western region between the two parties and a clear shift in the map of loyalties.
in addition to alliances
In addition to the political divide caused by the power struggle between Dabaiba and Bashagha, as well as the confusion of militias and armament, recent violent clashes in the western area have shown the military schism.
The Dabaiba government controls Tripoli, which is backed up by a number of armed militias, including the Stability Support Apparatus and the Deterrence Forces, as well as the Support for the Constitution and Elections force, the Forsan Janzour brigade, which is stationed west of the capital, and the Rahba battalion.
The Bashagha government is supported by the Al-Nawasi Brigade and the 777 Brigade, commanded by Haitham al-Tajouri.
The Misurata joint operations force, which includes the most strong armed militia in the western area, supports Dabaiba, while the Mahjoub Brigade militia supports Bashagha.
Other militias, such as Salah Badi’s Al-Samoud Brigade militia, advocated neutrality.
Militias led by Major General Osama al-Juwaili assist Bashagha in the cities of Zintan and Warshafana.
The West Coast is divided between the two parties, with the Criminal Investigation Force and the Hassan Bouzreba militia in Zawiya, near Tripoli, supporting Dabaiba and forces loyal to the Bashaga government’s Minister of Interior, Issam Abu Zreba, opposing him.
Brigade 55 in Warshafana also backs Bashagha, while battalions in Sabratha and Zuwara have backed Dabaiba.
It is worth emphasising that Tripoli has just seen the worst violence in two years, reintroducing the prospect of war to the area. The skirmishes turned into a street fight, killing 23 people and injuring nearly 100 more. While the authorities exchanged accusations.
For months, a power struggle has raged between the Tripoli-based unity government and the parliament-backed administration of Bashagha, located in the country’s east, with militias backing both sides, worsening the situation.
In detail, here is how the map of militia allegiance in Tripoli is spread.
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