Description: The UN Mission in Libya has confirmed suspicions that rival militias were involved in heavy armed clashes in the country’s capital, Tripoli. Abdel Ghani al – Kikli a powerful warlord and head of the Stability Support Authority (SSA) militia was reportedly killed after several hours of armed confrontations with rival armed groups. The SSA is under Libya’s Presidential Council led by the Government of National Unity coalition which seized power in 2021 after a UN – backed process. Al – Kikli was reported to have caused internal divisions within the coalition by directly confronting several of the coalition’s leaders leveling threats of destabilization and targeted assassinations. The UN has immediately called for de-escalation of hostilities as the country is at risk of plunging into an all – out war between rival fractions and has been in a revolving state of instability ever since NATO – backed forces toppled former Libyan President Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.
Impact: Libya’s internal militant divisions could plunge the country into a transpiring cycle of violence since so far, separatist groups haven’t come to an agreement of forming a unified government body. Libya is divided by the Government of the National Unity based in Tripoli and the Libyan National Army parallel fraction led by Khalifa Haftar which controls larger swathes of the country’s territory. Libya as a large migrant transit zone faces severe internal problems such as rise in militant and extremist fractions which cause further divisions between the dually established government. The country’s vast oil deposits and potential are the main resource of geopolitical relevance and security aggravation as well as the cause of the resurged armed confrontations which would most likely be on the rise in the short to mid – term.