“This is a massacre, not a crime,” is how the Minister of the Interior of the National Unity Government in Libya, Major General Imad Trabelsi, described the killing of 10 people, including security personnel, last Saturday evening, coinciding with the 13th anniversary of the February 17 revolution in the Abu Salim municipality in the capital, Tripoli. .
Al-Trabelsi continued during a press conference held the day before yesterday, Wednesday, that the Ministry of Interior was in possession of the type of weapons used in the massacre, in addition to the fingerprints, stressing that the perpetrators were Libyans and announcing that an agreement had been reached to evacuate Tripoli of armed groups, provided that they return to their headquarters and barracks outside the Libyan capital.
The evacuation announcement came immediately after the Abu Salim massacre, which was denounced by the UN envoy to Libya, Abdullah Bathily, demanding an investigation into it.
While the Minister of the Interior’s announcement to evacuate the capital, Tripoli, of armed groups was welcomed by the Libyan people, who were fed up with the presence of militias, specialists believe that this step must be preceded by other measures in order for it to succeed and prevent Libya from returning to violence.
Al-Sarraj’s legacy
Security affairs specialist Adel Abdulkafi described the step taken by the Minister of the Interior of Tripoli as good, stressing that it came from the womb of the official decree issued by the Prime Minister stipulating “reducing the security intensity of these illegal forces in exchange for giving all powers to the Ministry of the Interior, because this work is at the heart of Its missions.”
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Abdulkafi continued that the step to evacuate the capital from armed groups comes as a result of previous steps that began with the withdrawal of the “Joint Force” from the airport and port of Misrata, east of Tripoli, in addition to the withdrawal of the “Deterrence Force” from the Tripoli International Port and Mitiga Air Airport to the west, against the backdrop of its interference in the work powers of the specialized agencies. Such as customs and police.
He explained that the countries active in the Libyan file were the ones who put pressure on the political bodies affiliated with the Government of National Accord to limit the interference of these illegal security forces whose presence was legitimized by former Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj by granting them powers and financial budgets at the expense of the Libyan state, and he issued decisions to include them in the Presidential Council. To the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, which prompted these formations to encroach on the powers of the rest of the forces affiliated with state institutions, such as the police and military forces affiliated with the Libyan Chief of Staff.
Proactive steps
In order for the “Abu Salim massacre” to be a spark for the elimination of the militias, Abdel Kafi warned of the need to quickly support the announcement of evacuating the capital from armed groups with practical steps so that Libya does not return to the cycle of violence again, as it is natural for these armed groups to resist to remain in their places of concentration, as he put it.
He advised sorting out members of armed groups, then training them on human rights issues and integrating them into state structures, imposing sanctions on anyone who violates human rights regulations, in addition to involving civil society in the disarmament and demobilization process.
He explained that the cycle of divisions in which Libya is floundering is due to the negligence of the international community, which failed, with its Security Council and its UN mission, for 13 years to get Libya out of this trench.
He added that the (5+5) group charged with maintaining the ceasefire and removing mercenaries and foreign forces from the country also did not make any effort to end the military and security division, as the situation is still the same, and has even worsened due to the development of forms of mercenaries on the ground similar to the Russian Legion. The African Union, which will include a number of mercenaries and armed elements of different nationalities, holds the Security Council and the United Nations responsible for this, which failed to support the (5+5) committee until it carries out its mission.
International reports indicate that the number of armed militias in Libya is approximately 300, some of which belong to specific individuals and cities, such as Misrata, Zintan, and Al-Zawiya, and others belong to political movements. A number of these militias own prisons and detention centers, such as the “Deterrence Force,” which runs the “Matiqa” prison. “Which is considered outside the control of the Libyan state, and all successive ministries of justice in Libya and all UN missions have failed to enter it, while a number of others feed on the professions of fuel smuggling, human trafficking, and control of the process of securing sovereign institutions so that they are close to decision-making centers.
