TRIPOLI, Libya
The UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) announced the formation of a “truce committee” in cooperation with Libya’s Presidential Council following recent armed clashes in the capital Tripoli.
In a statement Sunday, UNSMIL said a ceasefire reached on May 14 remains fragile, stressing that the committee will focus on ensuring its permanence and enhancing civilian protection.
The committee, chaired by Libya’s Chief of the General Staff, Mohamed Al-Haddad, has held its first meeting.
According to a statement from the Presidential Council, the head of the council, Mohamed al-Menfi, met with Hanna Tetteh, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Libya and the head of UNSMIL, Haddad and Libyan army special forces commanders to assess the latest developments in Tripoli.
Clashes erupted last Monday in Tripoli following the death of Abdel Ghani al-Kikli, who headed the Stability Support Apparatus.
Shortly after al-Kikli’s death, the government announced that the 444th Brigade, affiliated with the Defense Ministry, had seized the Stability Support Apparatus’ headquarters in the Abu Salim neighborhood of Tripoli and taken control of the area.
In a statement last week, Libyan Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh congratulated members of the army and police for their success in establishing state authority in events that took place in the capital.
Clashes began in the early hours of May 14 between the Rada, which is considered one of the powerful militia groups in the capital, and government forces, and smoke was seen rising from buildings in parts of Tripoli.
The Defense Ministry later that day announced that a ceasefire had been declared in all conflict zones in Tripoli as part of efforts to protect civilians.
An official from Health Affairs at the Tripoli municipality, Mohammed Abdel Wahab, announced that six people died and 70 were injured in the clashes.
