Tripoli (TDI): One of the most intense conflicts has rocked Libya’s capital, Tripoli, for a second consecutive night and has continued into Wednesday, after the murder of a militia leader sparked the conflict between rival groups.
According to the officials, at least six people have died so far including warlord Abdel-Ghani al-Kikli, a commander of the Stabilization Support Authority (SAA).
Abdel-Ghani al-Kikli, who was famously known as “Ghaniwa,” was killed in a facility run by the 444 Brigade, a militia led by Mahmoud Hamza, who is known for having close ties to Prime Minister, Abdul Hamid Dbeibah.
أُحيي وزارتي الداخلية والدفاع، وجميع منتسبي الجيش والشرطة، على ما حققوه من إنجاز كبير في بسط الأمن وفرض سلطة الدولة في العاصمة.
إن ما تحقق اليوم يؤكد أن المؤسسات النظامية قادرة على حماية الوطن وحفظ كرامة المواطنين، ويُشكل خطوة حاسمة نحو إنهاء المجموعات غير النظامية، وترسيخ مبدأ…
— عبدالحميد الدبيبة Abdulhamid AlDabaiba (@Dabaibahamid) May 13, 2025
On Tuesday, the Prime Minister of western Libya’s Government of National Unity (GNU), Abdulhamid al-Dbeibah, ordered the dismantling of irregular armed groups.
According to the United Nations Libya mission (UNSMIL), the institution was “deeply alarmed by the escalating violence in densely populated neighborhoods of Tripoli.” It also called for an immediate ceasefire to end the conflict.
After the killing of Abdel-Ghani al-Kikli, the territory once occupied by the SAA in Libya was seized by the 444 Brigade and 111 Brigade, both of them being the allied factions of Prime Minister Dbeibah.
This indicates a major shift in power in western Libya, leaving only the Special Deterrence Force (Rada) as the last big faction not closely tied to the Prime Minister.
On April 13, the Prime Minister of western Libya commended its security forces for restoring order and peace in the area of conflict, and said, “I commend the Ministries of Interior and Defense, and all members of the army and police, for their significant accomplishments in establishing security and imposing state authority in the capital.”
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Since the NATO-backed uprising ousted the longtime leader of Libya, Muammar Gaddafi, in 2011, the country has had little stability.
By 2014, it had split into the rival eastern and western factions, which had put a pause to their conflict by signing a truce in 2020.
While eastern Libya was steadily ruled by the Libyan American commander, Khalifa Haftar, Prime Minister Osama Hammad, and the Libyan National Army (LNA), the western Libya was divided into several factions including the SAA, Special Deterrence Force, and 111 and 444 brigades, the latter two being aligned with the de facto Prime Minister, Abdulhamid al-Dbeibah.
The Prime Minister has failed to gain full control over the territory due to the presence of and fighting between these several rival militias. However, the Prime Minister hopes to gain some stability in the region in near future.
Javaria Khalid is a Web Contributor at The Diplomatic Insight Magazine. She specializes in covering geopolitical developments, international relations, diplomatic, and socio-economic developments in Europe and Pakistan.
