Former Libyan Prison Official Accused of War Crimes Arrested in Germany
Khaled Mohamed Ali El Hishri, allegedly one of the most senior officials at Miriga Prison in Tripoli, where thousands of people were detained, was arrested in Germany after being accused by the International Criminal Court (ICC) of crimes against humanity and war crimes (AP)
He is suspected of both committing and overseeing murder, torture, rape, and sexual violence between February 2015 and early 2020, and is the first Libyan suspect at the court, which the ICC is hailing as an “important development” to seek accountability for violations in Libyan detention facilities (ICC)
UN Calls for Calm Amid Rising Tensions in Tripoli
Amid recent armed group mobilizations in and around Tripoli, the UN Support Mission in Libya expressed concern over the potential for violence and conflict to erupt and called for the forces to withdraw immediately (UN)
EU Delegation Declared Persona Non Grata by Benghazi-Based Government
Following a meeting with Libya’s UN-recognized government in Tripoli, the EU migration commissioner and ministers from Italy, Malta, and Greece were denied entry into Osama Hamad’s government in eastern Libya and were considered persona non grata; the day before, the Hamad government said all foreign visitors and diplomatic missions must get permission from the Hamad government before entering Libya (Reuters)
Libyan Migrants Detained
Greek authorities said that more than 1,200 migrants from Libya have been detained in the past several days. They are being held in Crete and Gavdos; the surge of arrivals comes as Greece’s foreign minister is in Libya to discuss the migration crisis (WaPo)
Later this week, European Commissioner Magnus Brunner is also expected in Libya to encourage stronger action on migrant departures (AP)
Gunman Shoots at British Diplomats
Two UK embassy vehicles carrying diplomatic staff were shot at by an alleged member of the General Service Apparatus militia backed by the Tripoli government in what the UK government considered an incident of road rage; no injuries were reported (Politico)
MSF Ready to Resume Medical Services in Libya
Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has expressed readiness to resume medical operations in Libya after its sites were shut down in March during a broader crackdown on humanitarian groups; the organization urged engagement with Libyan authorities, while the UN’s top envoy emphasized the need for international support to turn Libya’s fragile truce into a lasting ceasefire and establish accountable governance (UN)
Sudanese Army Accuses Libya’s Haftar of Coordinated Attack With RSF
The Sudanese military has, for the first time, accused military commander Khalifa Haftar’s forces of launching attacks on Sudanese border posts, alleging direct involvement by its northwestern neighbor in the three-year-long civil war (Al Jazeera)
Dozens of Bodies Found in Rebel-Held Libyan Capital
Dozens of bodies were discovered, some charred and buried and others in hospital refrigerators, in a section of Tripoli captured by the Stabilization Support Authority, an armed group whose leader, Abdel-Ghani al-Kikli, was killed in militia fighting last month (AP)
Ceasefire in Tripoli Appears to Hold
The fighting between forces loyal to and opposing Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah killed at least six people (Bloomberg)
Previous conflict in Libya pitted the government in Tripoli against rivals in the country’s east, but those tensions were eased by agreements over oil and banking resources last year (Reuters)
Ceasefire Announced in Libya After Violence Breaks Out in Tripoli
The government’s ceasefire ended the clashes in the country’s capital, which led to an unknown number of casualties; clashes between rival militias erupted in Tripoli on Monday, May 12, after the killing of Abdulghani al-Kikli, commander of the Stability Support Apparatus (SSA), which led to fighting primarily between SSA-allied forces and the Brigade 444—who are loyal to the provisional Government of National Unity (GNU) and the country’s current prime minister (Reuters)
Libyan Militia Leader Killed in Tripoli, Sparking Clashes and Protests
Clashes erupted in Tripoli after Abdel-Ghani al-Kikli, leader of the Stabilization Support Authority (SSA), was killed by a rival group inside a facility controlled by the 444 Brigade, along with six others (AP)
His death triggered intense fighting between militias, sparking unrest across the capital; in the immediate aftermath, the Ministry of Defense announced it had retaken key areas, including SSA headquarters (Atlantic Council)
Protests soon followed, with demonstrators denouncing the provisional government’s failure, calling for the dismissal of all existing political bodies, and the disarmament of militias; several ministers resigned amid growing public anger (Libyan Observer)
U.S. Judge Blocks Trump Libya Deportation Plan
A U.S. judge ordered a temporary block on President Trump’s plan to deport migrants to Libya, citing the right of potential deportees to due process under a previous ruling (BBC)
U.S. Plans First Migrant Deportations to Libya
The Trump administration is preparing to deport migrants to Libya for the first time, potentially using U.S. military aircraft, despite Libya’s rejection of the plan and concerns over the country’s human rights record and political instability (Reuters)
UN Panel Finalizes Proposals to Resolve Libya’s Electoral Deadlock
The United Nations Mission in Libya announced that its advisory committee has completed consultations and finalized a set of proposals aimed at resolving ongoing issues with Libya’s electoral framework, intending to facilitate long-delayed national elections (Reuters)
Eastern Libyan Forces Warn Against Transporting Military Equipment in Civilian Planes
The eastern-based Libyan National Army issued a warning to airlines against transporting military equipment using civilian aircraft, threatening to target any such planes, following reports of a Boeing 747-412 flying from Istanbul to Libya carrying military cargo (Reuters)
Militia Clashes in Western Libya Kill Fourteen
Clashes between rival militias in the western Libyan town of Zuwara have left fourteen people dead and eighty injured, prompting the interim government to deploy a force to restore order amid ongoing ethnic and tribal tensions (IOL)
Russian Foreign Ministry Delegation Visits Tripoli to Strengthen Bilateral Ties
A high-level delegation from the Russian Foreign Ministry met with Libya’s Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs, Taher Al-Baour, in Tripoli to discuss enhancing bilateral relations; the discussions focused on strengthening cooperation across various fields, supporting stability and development in Libya, and coordinating on regional and international issues of mutual interest (The Libya Observer)
Russia Ships Arms to Haftar, Signaling Strategic Shift in Libya
Russia has significantly increased its military presence in Libya by shipping up to six thousand tons of weaponry and materiel to the port of Tobruk, controlled by warlord Khalifa Haftar; the tonnage arrived on a vessel escorted by a navy frigate on April 8 after sailing from Moscow’s naval base in Tartus, Syria (The Times)
Libya Suspends Aid Groups
Libyan authorities ordered the suspension of ten international aid organizations, accusing them of facilitating the settlement of African migrants in Libya (Euronews)
UN Raises Alarm Over Wave of Arbitrary Arrests in Libya
The United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) expressed concern over a surge in arbitrary arrests and detentions across Libya by law enforcement and security actors, targeting individuals based on alleged political affiliations and perceived dissent (Tribune)
French Prosecutors Seek Seven-Year Jail Sentence for Sarkozy Over Alleged Libyan Campaign Financing
French prosecutors have requested a seven-year prison sentence and a €300,000 fine for former President Nicolas Sarkozy, alleging he received millions of euros from late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi to fund his 2007 presidential campaign (Reuters)
UN Warns Sudanese Refugees Are Stuck in Libya With Nowhere to Go
Over two hundred thousand Sudanese refugees fleeing conflict have sought refuge in Libya, where they face significant human rights violations and lack viable options for resettlement or return (WHO)
Security Operation in Bayda Captures Human Traffickers and Detains Fourteen Migrants
The General Directorate of Security Operations in Bayda conducted a targeted operation against human traffickers on the desert road south of the city, resulting in the arrest of several traffickers and the detention of fourteen illegal migrants (Libya Observer)
Libya Resumes Oil Production at Mabruk Field After Decade-Long Halt
Libya’s Mabruk Oil Operations has restarted production at the Mabruk oilfield, inactive since 2015 due to security concerns, beginning with an initial output of five thousand barrels per day and plans to increase to twenty-five thousand barrels per day by July (North Africa Post)
Libya Announces First Oil Exploration Licence Since Civil War
The Libyan National Oil Corporation (NOC) announced it would soon open an initial bidding round for oil exploration, the first such tender in seventeen years and the first since the outbreak of war in 2011 (Reuters)