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{{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Second Libyan Civil War , partof = the
Arab Winter The Arab Winter is a term for the resurgence of authoritarianism and Islamic extremism in some Arab countries in the 2010s in the aftermath of the Arab Spring protests. The term "Arab Winter" refers to the events across Arab League countries in t ...
,
Libyan Crisis Demographics of Libya is the demography of Libya, specifically covering population density, ethnicity, education level, health of the populace, economic status, and religious affiliations, as well as other aspects of the Libyan population. The ...
,
Iran–Saudi Arabia proxy conflict {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Iran–Saudi Arabia proxy conflict , width = , partof = the Arab Winter , image = Iran Saudi conflict 2022.png , image_size = 300px , caption ...
,
War on terror The war on terror, officially the Global War on Terrorism (GWOT), is an ongoing international Counterterrorism, counterterrorism military campaign initiated by the United States following the September 11 attacks. The main targets of the campa ...
, and
Qatar–Saudi Arabia diplomatic conflict The Qatar–Saudi Arabia diplomatic conflict refers to the Cold war (term), ongoing struggle for regional influence between Qatar and the Saudi Arabia, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), both of which are members of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) ...
, image = Libyan Civil War.svg , image_size = 400px , caption = Military situation in Libya on 11 June 2020
{{legend, #ebc0b3, Under the control of the
House of Representatives House of Representatives is the name of legislative bodies in many countries and sub-national entitles. In many countries, the House of Representatives is the lower house of a bicameral legislature, with the corresponding upper house often c ...
and the
Libyan National Army The Libyan National Army (LNA; ar, الجيش الوطني الليبي, ''al-jaysh al-waṭaniyy al-Lībii'') is a component of Libya's military forces which were nominally a unified national force under the command of Field Marshal Khalifa Ha ...
{{legend, #cae7c4, Under the control of the
Government of National Accord The Government of National Accord ( ar, حكومة الوفاق الوطني) was an interim government for Libya that was formed under the terms of the Libyan Political Agreement, a United Nations–led initiative, signed on 17 December 2015. Th ...
(GNA) and different
militia A militia () is generally an army or some other fighting organization of non-professional soldiers, citizens of a country, or subjects of a state, who may perform military service during a time of need, as opposed to a professional force of r ...
s forming the
Libya Shield Force The Libya Shield Force is an armed organisation formed in 2012 out of anti-Gaddafi armed groups spread throughout Libya. The Libyan parliament designated much of the Libya Shield Force as terrorist and elements of the Libya Shield Force were ide ...
{{legend, #afc6e9, Controlled by local forces (For a more detailed map, see military situation in the Libyan Civil War)
, date = 16 May 2014 – 23 October 2020
({{Age in months, weeks and days, year1=2014, month1=05, day1=16, year2=2020, month2=10, day2=23) , place =
Libya Libya (; ar, ليبيا, Lībiyā), officially the State of Libya ( ar, دولة ليبيا, Dawlat Lībiyā), is a country in the Maghreb region in North Africa. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to Egypt–Libya bo ...
, status = , combatants_header = Main belligerents , result = Ceasefire * Permanent ceasefire ratified on 23 October 2020 * Government of National Unity formed on 10 March 2021 * Continued
Libyan Crisis Demographics of Libya is the demography of Libya, specifically covering population density, ethnicity, education level, health of the populace, economic status, and religious affiliations, as well as other aspects of the Libyan population. The ...
, combatant1 = {{flagicon, Libya{{flagicon image, Coat of arms of Libya Tobruk Government.svg
House of Representatives House of Representatives is the name of legislative bodies in many countries and sub-national entitles. In many countries, the House of Representatives is the lower house of a bicameral legislature, with the corresponding upper house often c ...
(
Tobruk Tobruk or Tobruck (; grc, Ἀντίπυργος, ''Antipyrgos''; la, Antipyrgus; it, Tobruch; ar, طبرق, Tubruq ''Ṭubruq''; also transliterated as ''Tobruch'' and ''Tubruk'') is a port city on Libya's eastern Mediterranean coast, near th ...
-based){{cite news, title=Rival Libyan factions sign UN-backed peace deal, url=http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/12/libya-rival-parliaments-sign-backed-deal-151217131709056.html, access-date=17 December 2015, work=Al Jazeera, date=17 December 2015{{cite news, title=Libya's rival factions sign UN peace deal, despite resistance , url=http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20151217/world/libyan-factions-meet-to-sign-un-peace-deal.596042, access-date=17 December 2015, work=
Times of Malta The ''Times of Malta'' is an English-language daily newspaper in Malta. Founded in 1935, by Lord and Lady Strickland and Lord Strickland's daughter Mabel, it is the oldest daily newspaper still in circulation in Malta. It has the widest circu ...
, date=17 December 2015
* {{flagicon image, Flag of The Libyan National Army (Variant).svg
Libyan National Army The Libyan National Army (LNA; ar, الجيش الوطني الليبي, ''al-jaysh al-waṭaniyy al-Lībii'') is a component of Libya's military forces which were nominally a unified national force under the command of Field Marshal Khalifa Ha ...
{{cite news , access-date=21 May 2014, url-status=live, url=https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/libyan-lawmakers-meet-secret-amid-standoff-23798123 , title=2 Ranking Libyan Officials Side With Rogue General , date=20 May 2014 , first1=Esam , last1=Mohamed , first2=Maggie , last2=Michael , work=
ABC News ABC News is the news division of the American broadcast network ABC. Its flagship program is the daily evening newscast ''ABC World News Tonight, ABC World News Tonight with David Muir''; other programs include Breakfast television, morning ...
, archive-date=26 May 2014 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140526020155/https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/libyan-lawmakers-meet-secret-amid-standoff-23798123
{{cite news , first1=Ayman , last1=al-Warfalli , first2=Ulf , last2=Laessing, work=Reuters, url-status=live , url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-libya-violence-idUSBREA4G04A20140519 , title=Libyan special forces commander says his forces join renegade general, date=19 May 2014, access-date=22 May 2014 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140521071351/https://www.reuters.com/article/2014/05/19/us-libya-violence-idUSBREA4G04A20140519 , archive-date=21 May 2014 * {{air force, Libya
(LNA–aligned) * {{navy, Libya
(LNA–aligned) {{Collapsible list , title= Others: , 1= Zintan brigades{{cite news, url=http://www.libyaherald.com/2014/08/05/warshefana-take-camp-27-from-libya-shield/#axzz39dcDm2Q5 , title=Warshefana take Camp 27 from Libya Shield , newspaper=Libya Herald , date=5 August 2014 , access-date=7 August 2014 , author=Abdul-Wahab, Ashraf , url-status=live , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140808101117/http://www.libyaherald.com/2014/08/05/warshefana-take-camp-27-from-libya-shield/ , archive-date= 8 August 2014 , 2= {{flagicon image, JEM_Logo_June_2013.jpg JEM (from 2016) , 3={{flagicon image, Flag of Darfur.svg SLM/A-Minnawi , 4= {{flagicon, Libya, 1977
Gaddafi loyalists Gaddafi loyalism, in a wider political and social sense also known as Green resistance, consists of sympathetic sentiment towards the overthrown government of Muammar Gaddafi, who was killed in October 2011. It has been responsible for some of ...
*{{flagicon, Libya, 1977
Popular Front for the Liberation of Libya The Popular Front for the Liberation of Libya (PFLL; ar, الجبهة الشعبية لتحرير ليبيا) is a Gaddafi loyalist militia and political party that aims to elect Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, son of the late Libyan leader Muammar Gad ...
*Warshefana militias
{{Cite web, url=https://www.libyexpress.com/jordan-arming-libyas-haftar-with-armored-vehicles-and-weapons/, title=Jordan arming Libya's Haftar with armored vehicles and weapons, date=23 May 2019 {{flagicon image} Wagner Group
(since 2018)

{{flagicon, Egypt
Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediter ...

{{flagicon, United Arab Emirates
United Arab Emirates The United Arab Emirates (UAE; ar, اَلْإِمَارَات الْعَرَبِيَة الْمُتَحِدَة ), or simply the Emirates ( ar, الِْإمَارَات ), is a country in Western Asia (The Middle East). It is located at th ...
{{cite news , title=UAE and Egypt behind bombing raids against Libyan militias, say US officials , url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/aug/26/united-arab-emirates-bombing-raids-libyan-militias , work=The Guardian , date=26 August 2014
{{flag, Sudan ( RSF){{cite news , last1= de Waal , first1=Alex , title= Sudan crisis: The ruthless mercenaries who run the country for gold , date= 20 July 2019 , newspaper=
BBC News BBC News is an operational business division of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs in the UK and around the world. The department is the world's largest broadca ...
, url= https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-48987901 , access-date= 21 July 2019 , archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20190721231109/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-48987901 , archive-date= 21 July 2019 , url-status=live
(since 2019)
{{flag, Syria
(since 2020)
{{Collapsible list , title= Support: , 1= {{flag, Russia {{cite news, work=
Middle East Eye Middle East Eye (MEE) is a London-based news website covering events in the Middle East and North Africa. MEE describes itself as an "independently funded online news organization that was founded in April 2014." MEE seeks to be the primary porta ...
, date=30 January 2017, title=Russia's secret plan to back Haftar in Libya, url=http://www.middleeasteye.net/news/exclusive-russias-secret-plan-libya-2129027228, first=Malek, last=Bachir, access-date=3 April 2017
, 2= {{flagicon image, Flag of France (lighter variant).svg
France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
, 3= {{flag, Saudi Arabia , 4= {{flag, Chad , 5= {{flag, Jordan{{cite web, url=http://www.jordantimes.com/news/local/king-renews-support-libya%E2%80%99s-national-concord, title=King renews support for Libya's national concord, work= The Jordan Times , date=20 August 2017, access-date=25 August 2017 , 6= {{flag, Belarus , 7= {{flag, Greece , 8= {{flag, Israel
(''allegedly, denied by LNA'') , combatant2 = {{flagicon, Libya{{flagicon image, The emblem on the passport of Libya.svg, border=no
Government of National Accord The Government of National Accord ( ar, حكومة الوفاق الوطني) was an interim government for Libya that was formed under the terms of the Libyan Political Agreement, a United Nations–led initiative, signed on 17 December 2015. Th ...
(
Tripoli Tripoli or Tripolis may refer to: Cities and other geographic units Greece *Tripoli, Greece, the capital of Arcadia, Greece * Tripolis (region of Arcadia), a district in ancient Arcadia, Greece * Tripolis (Larisaia), an ancient Greek city in ...
-based) (since 2016) * {{army, Libya * {{air force, Libya
(GNA–aligned) * {{navy, Libya{{cite web, url=https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/libyan-navy-asserts-control-isil-controlled-sirte/, title=Libyan Navy asserts control over ISIL-controlled Sirte, work=Al-Masdar News, date=10 June 2016, access-date=24 June 2016
(GNA–aligned) {{Collapsible list , title= Others: , 1=
Presidential Guard Presidential Guard may refer to: *President Guard Regiment (Bangladesh) *Presidential Guard Regiment (Turkey) *Presidential Guard (Greece) *Presidential Guard (Belarus) *Presidential Guard (South Vietnam) *President's Own Guard Regiment (Ghana) * ...
{{cite news, title=Presidential Guard established, url=https://www.libyaherald.com/2016/05/09/presidential-guard-established/, access-date=9 May 2016, work=Libya Herald, date=9 May 2016 , 2=
Misrata Brigades The Libya Shield Force is an armed organisation formed in 2012 out of anti-Gaddafi armed groups spread throughout Libya. The Libyan parliament designated much of the Libya Shield Force as terrorist and elements of the Libya Shield Force were ide ...
, 3=Sabratha Revolutionary Brigades , 4=
Petroleum Facilities Guard The Petroleum Facilities Guard (PFG; Arabic: حرس المنشآت النفطية) is a Libyan oil company and militia led by Idris Bukhamada. Established in October 2012, it took control of the main oil export terminals in eastern Libya in the ...
, 5=
Tripoli Brigade The Tripoli Revolutionaries Brigade or Free Tripoli Guardian was a unit of the National Liberation Army of Libya created during the Libyan Civil War that merged into the Tripoli Protection Force. Originally formed in April 2011 in the opposition ...
(until 2018) , 6= Tripoli Protection Force (since 2018) , 7=Misratan Third Force , 8={{flagicon image, Berber flag.svg
Tuareg militias of Ghat Tuareg militias of Ghat are ethnic Tuareg tribal militias, operating in South-West Libya desert areas during the Second Libyan Civil War. The militias rose to prominence in the district of Ghat, which has a Tuareg majority. Gradually, the Tuareg ...
, 9={{flagicon image, Flag of the Toubou Front for the Salvation of Libya.svg
Toubou Front for the Salvation of Libya The Toubou Front for the Salvation of Libya ( ar, جبهة التبو لإنقاذ ليبيا; french: Front Toubou pour la Salut de la Libye) is a group created in mid-2007 to defend the rights and interests of the Toubou people in Libya. It is le ...
{{cite news, url=http://libyaprospect.com/index.php/2016/04/04/tabu-and-tuareg-announce-their-support-for-gna/, title=Tabu and Tuareg announce their support for GNA, work=Libyaprospect, date=4 April 2016, access-date=24 April 2016 , 10=Chadian rebels (
FACT A fact is a datum about one or more aspects of a circumstance, which, if accepted as true and proven true, allows a logical conclusion to be reached on a true–false evaluation. Standard reference works are often used to check facts. Scient ...
,{{cite web , url=https://www.aberfoylesecurity.com/?p=4010 , title=Rebel or Mercenary? A Profile of Chad's General Mahamat Mahdi Ali , first=Andrew , last=McGregor , work=Aberfoyle International Security , date=7 September 2017 , access-date=1 March 2019 , archive-date=6 March 2019 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190306043634/https://www.aberfoylesecurity.com/?p=4010 , url-status=dead CCMSR,
URF ( ar, العرف) is an Arabic Islamic term referring to the custom, or 'knowledge', of a given society. To be recognized in an Islamic society, must be compatible with the Sharia law.H. Patrick Glenn, ''Legal Traditions of the World''. Oxfor ...
{{cite web, url=https://www.crisisgroup.org/africa/central-africa/chad/au-tchad-lincursion-des-rebelles-devoile-les-fragilites-du-pouvoir , title= Rebel Incursion Exposes Chad's Weaknesses , work=Crisis Group , date=13 February 2019 , access-date=16 May 2019 and
UFDD The Union of Forces for Democracy and Development is the largest group of Chadian rebel forces opposed to former President Idriss Déby. It was formed in October 2006 under the leadership of Mahamat Nouri. The group consists of: * United Front f ...
) {{flagicon, Syrian opposition Syrian mercenaries (since 2019){{Cite web, url=http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2019-12/29/c_138664951.htm, archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191229131630/http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2019-12/29/c_138664951.htm, url-status=dead, archive-date=29 December 2019, title=300 pro-Turkey Syrian rebels sent to Libya to support UN-backed gov't: watchdog – Xinhua | English.news.cn, website=www.xinhuanet.com
{{flag, Turkey (since 2020) {{Collapsible list , title= Support: , 1= {{flag, Qatar{{cite web, url=https://www.libyaherald.com/2017/03/13/abdulrahman-sewehli-thanks-qatari-emir-for-his-support/, title=Abdulrahman Sewehli thanks Qatari Emir for his support., date=13 March 2017, access-date=11 August 2017 , 3= {{flag, Sudan{{cite news, url=https://www.libyaherald.com/2017/05/01/sudan-reiterates-support-for-presidency-council-but-concerned-about-darfuri-rebels-in-libya/, title=Sudan reiterates support for Presidency Council but concerned about Darfuri rebels in Libya, date=1 May 2017, access-date=11 August 2017, work=Libya Herald (until 2019) , 7= {{flag, Pakistan , 8= {{flag, Iran , 9= {{flag, Morocco , 10= {{flag, Algeria{{cite news, work=
Libya Herald The ''Libya Herald'' ( ar, ليبيا هيرلد) is an English-language newspaper based in Tripoli, Libya, launched on 17 February 2012. Creation The ''Libya Herald'' was launched on 17 February 2012, the first anniversary of the outbreak of the ...
, title=Serraj on another Algeria visit seeking solution to Libyan political impasse, date=25 December 2016, url=https://www.libyaherald.com/2016/12/26/serraj-on-another-algeria-visit-seeking-solution-to-libyan-political-impasse/
, 12= {{flag, Malta{{cite news , last1=Martin , first1=Ivan , title=Malta teams up with Turkey in an attempt to make Libya stable , url=https://timesofmalta.com/articles/view/malta-teams-up-with-turkey-in-an-attempt-to-make-libya-stable.806733 , work=
Times of Malta The ''Times of Malta'' is an English-language daily newspaper in Malta. Founded in 1935, by Lord and Lady Strickland and Lord Strickland's daughter Mabel, it is the oldest daily newspaper still in circulation in Malta. It has the widest circu ...
, date=25 July 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200725205804/https://timesofmalta.com/articles/view/malta-teams-up-with-turkey-in-an-attempt-to-make-libya-stable.806733 , archive-date=25 July 2020
, 13= {{flag, Italy{{cite news , title=Di Maio assures Al-Sarraj of Italy's support for GNA and political track , url=http://en.alwasat.ly/news/libya/282431 , access-date=6 May 2020 , publisher=Alwasat , date=6 May 2020 , 14= {{flag, European Union (except Greece, Cyprus and France) , 15= {{flag, United Kingdom , 16= {{flag, United States (until 2019) , 17 = {{flag, United Nations , combatant3 = {{Flagicon , Libya National Salvation Government
(2014–2017) *
Libya Shield Force The Libya Shield Force is an armed organisation formed in 2012 out of anti-Gaddafi armed groups spread throughout Libya. The Libyan parliament designated much of the Libya Shield Force as terrorist and elements of the Libya Shield Force were ide ...
{{cite web, url=http://english.alarabiya.net/en/perspective/alarabiya-studies/2014/08/25/Libyan-Dawn-Map-of-allies-and-enemies.html , title=Libyan Dawn: Map of allies and enemies, publisher=Al Arabiya, date=25 August 2014 , access-date=25 August 2014 *
LROR The Libya Revolutionaries Operations Room (abbreviated LROR; ar, غرفة عمليات ثوار ليبيا) is an armed group loyal to Nouri Abusahmain. It has been declared a terrorist organization by the Libyan parliament. It was heavily invol ...
* Libyan National Guard{{cite web, url=http://www.libyaherald.com/2015/03/21/lna-targets-tripoli-and-zuwara-but-pulls-back-troops-in-aziziya-area/#axzz3V7Q4Daou, title=LNA targets Tripoli and Zuwara but pulls back troops in Aziziya area, work=Libya Herald, date=21 March 2015, access-date=22 March 2015 {{Collapsible list , title= Support: , 1= {{flag, Sudan (2014–16) , 2= {{flag, Turkey (2014–16){{cite news, url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/26/world/africa/egypt-and-united-arab-emirates-said-to-have-secretly-carried-out-libya-airstrikes.html , title=Egypt and United Arab Emirates Said to Have Secretly Carried Out Libya Airstrikes , work=The New York Times, date=25 August 2014 , access-date=25 August 2014, author1-link=David D. Kirkpatrick , last1=Kirkpatrick , first1=David D , last2=Schmitt , first2=Eric{{cite web, url=http://www.libyaobserver.ly/news/libya-turkey-agree-resuming-signed-security-training-programs, title=Libya, Turkey agree on resuming signed security training programs, date=25 May 2017, access-date=11 August 2017 , 3= {{flag, Qatar (2014–16) , 4= {{flag, Iran (allegedly) ---- {{flagicon image, Flag of Jihad.svg Shura Council of
Benghazi Revolutionaries

(2014–2017)
{{Flagdeco, Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb
(2014–2017){{cite web, url=https://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2018/03/american-forces-kill-senior-al-qaeda-leader-in-libya.php, title=American forces kill senior al Qaeda leader in Libya , work=Long War Journal, date=28 March 2018, publisher=28 March 2018, author=Bill Roggio and Alexandra Gutowski {{Collapsible list , title= SCBR
militia: , 1= {{flagicon image, Flag of Ansar al-Sharia (Libya).svg
Ansar al-Sharia Ansar al-Sharia or Ansar al-Shariah is a name used by a collection of radical or militant Islamist groups or militias, in at least eight countries. While they share names and ideology, they lack a unified command structure. *Ansar al-Sharia (Yemen) ...

(2014–2017) , 2=
Libya Shield 1 Libya Shield 1 was an Islamist armed group in Benghazi and eastern Libya. It is nominally part of the Libya Shield Force and is a member of the Shura Council of Benghazi Revolutionaries The Shura Council of Benghazi Revolutionaries ( ar, مجل ...

(2014–16) , 3=
February 17th Martyrs Brigade The February 17th Martyrs Brigade is an Islamist militia in Libya. Composition In 2015, the brigade consisted of 12 battalions and possessed a large collection of light and heavy weapons in addition to training facilities. Its membership was es ...
, 4=
Rafallah al-Sahati Brigade The Rafallah Sahati Brigade is named after one of the first Libyans to die while fighting Gaddafi's forces in March 2011 in Benghazi. The group began as a battalion of the 17 February Martyrs brigade, before expanding to become a group in its own ...
{{Collapsible list , title= Others: , 1= {{flagicon image, Flag of Jihad.svg
Shura Council of Mujahideen in Derna The Shura Council of Mujahideen in Derna ( ar, مجلس شورى مجاهدي درنة) was a coalition of Islamist militias that advocated the implementation of Sharia law within Derna, Libya. Besides seeking to implement strict social mores in ...
(2014–18) , 2= Ansar al-Sharia (Derna) (2014–18) , 3= Abu Salim Martyrs
(2014–15) , 4={{flagicon, Libya
Benghazi Defense Brigades The Shura Council of Benghazi Revolutionaries ( ar, مجلس شورى ثوار بنغازي, ''Majlis Shura Thuwar Benghazi'') is a military coalition in Benghazi composed of Islamist and jihadist militias, including Ansar al-Sharia, Libya Shield ...
, 5={{flagicon image, Variant flag of the Islamic State.svg Ajdabiya Revolutionaries Shura Council (2015–16) , 6={{flagicon, Libya
Derna Protection Force The Derna Protection Force (DPF; Arabic: قوة حماية درنة), also known as the Derna Security Force, was a Libyan militia formed by Ateyah Al-Shaari on 11 May 2018, during the Libyan National Army's assault on Derna. History The militia ...
, combatant4 = {{flagdeco, Islamic State
Islamic State An Islamic state is a State (polity), state that has a form of government based on sharia, Islamic law (sharia). As a term, it has been used to describe various historical Polity, polities and theories of governance in the Islamic world. As a t ...

(from 2014){{cite web, url=http://www.cp24.com/world/libyan-city-declares-itself-part-of-islamic-state-caliphate-1.2093900, title=Libyan city declares itself part of Islamic State caliphate, work=CP24, date=9 November 2014, access-date=29 January 2015 * Wilayat Barqa{{cite web, url=http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/islamic-state-expanding-into-north-africa-a-1003525.html, title=Islamic State Expanding into North Africa, place=Hamburg, DE, date=18 November 2014, work=Der Spiegel, access-date=25 November 2014{{cite news, title=ISIS comes to Libya , url=http://www.cnn.com/2014/11/18/world/isis-libya/ , access-date=20 November 2014 , publisher=CNN, date=18 November 2014 * Wilayat Tarabulus * Wilayat Fezzan{{cite news, title=Islamic State Sprouting Limbs Beyond Its Base, url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/15/world/middleeast/islamic-state-sprouting-limbs-beyond-mideast.html?_r=1, work=
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
, date=14 February 2015, access-date=13 March 2015, first1=Eric, last1=Schmitt, first2=David D., last2=Kirkpatrick
{{Collapsible list , title= Support: , 1= {{flagicon image, AQMI Flag asymmetric.svg
AQIM Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb ( ar-at, تنظيم القاعدة في بلاد المغرب الإسلامي, Tanẓīm al-Qā'idah fī Bilād al-Maghrib al-Islāmī), or AQIM, is an Islamist militant organization (of al-Qaeda) that aims to ...
(2014–2015;{{cite web, title=Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, url=https://web.stanford.edu/group/mappingmilitants/cgi-bin/groups/view/65, publisher=Stanford University, date=1 July 2016 alleged in 2016) , commander1 = {{flagicon, Libya
Aguila Saleh Issa Aguila Saleh Issa ( ar, عقيلة صالح عيسى; born January 11, 1944) is a Libyan jurist and politician who is the Speaker of the Libyan House of Representatives since 5 August 2014. He is also a representative of the town of Al Qubbah, in ...

(President of
House of Representatives House of Representatives is the name of legislative bodies in many countries and sub-national entitles. In many countries, the House of Representatives is the lower house of a bicameral legislature, with the corresponding upper house often c ...
)
{{flagicon, Libya Abdullah al-Thani
(
Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...
)
{{flagicon image, Flag of The Libyan National Army (Variant).svg FM
Khalifa Haftar Field Marshal Khalifa Belqasim Haftar ( ar, خليفة بلقاسم حفتر, Ḵalīfa Bilqāsim Ḥaftar; born 7 November 1943) is a Libyan-American politician, military officer, and the commander of the Tobruk-based Libyan National Army (LNA) ...

(High Commander of the '' LNA'')
{{flagicon image, Flag of The Libyan National Army (Variant).svg Gen.
Abdulrazek al-Nadoori Abdulrazek al-Nadoori is a Libyan military officer. Since 2014 he has been the Chief of the General Staff in Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar's Libyan National Army, loyal to the Tobruk-based House of Representatives. He also served as the military ...
(Chief of the General Staff of the LNA)
{{Flagicon image, Libyan Special Forces Emblem.svg Col. Wanis Abu Khamada
(Commander of
Libyan Special Forces The Libyan Special Forces (LSF) ( ar, القوات الخاصة الليبية), are an elite Libyan National Army unit, formed from a mixture of paratroopers, paramilitary forces and commandos. (They should not be confused with the similarly na ...
)
{{flagicon image, Flag of the Libyan Ground Forces.svg Brig. Gen. Almabrook Suhban
(Chief of Staff of the
Libyan Ground Forces The Libyan Army ( ar, الجيش الليبي) is the brand for a number of separate military forces in Libya, which are under the command of the internationally recognised Government of National Accord (GNA). Since December 2015 the groups of t ...
)
{{flagicon image, Flag of the Libyan Air Force.svg Brig. Gen.
Saqr Geroushi Saqr Adam Geroushi (Arabic: صقر ادم الجروشي) is a Libyan military officer who is the Chief of Staff of the Libyan Air Force that supports Marshal Khalifa Haftar's Libyan National Army faction. Geroushi was reinstated as the head of th ...

(Chief of Staff of the
Libyan Air Force The Libyan Air Force ( ar, القوات الجوية الليبية) is the branch of the Libyan Armed Forces responsible for aerial warfare. In 2010, before the Libyan Civil War, the Libyan Air Force personnel strength was estimated at 18,000 ...
) (LNA-aligned)
{{flagicon image, Flag of the Libyan Navy.svg Adm.
Faraj al-Mahdawi Faraj is a name of Arabic origins, found in many locations including in Kuwait, Yemen, Egypt, Libya, United Arab Emirates, Azerbaijan, Iran, and others. The name derived from Arabic meaning "joy after sadness", and can also hold the meaning "to cur ...

(Chief of Staff of the
Libyan Navy Libyan Navy ( ar, قوات البحرية الليبية) is the branch of the Libyan military responsible for naval warfare. Established in November 1962, Libyan Navy has been headed by Admiral Mansour Bader, Chief of Staff of the Libyan Naval F ...
) (LNA-aligned)
{{flagicon, Libya, 1977 Saif al-Islam Gaddafi
(Candidate for President of Libya)
Aladdin Meier Aladdin ( ; ar, علاء الدين, ', , ATU 561, ‘Aladdin') is a Middle-Eastern folk tale. It is one of the best-known tales associated with ''The Book of One Thousand and One Nights'' (''The Arabian Nights''), despite not being part of ...

(political activist) , commander2 = {{flagicon, Libya
Fayez al-Sarraj Fayez Mustafa al-Sarraj ( ar, فائز السراج or ; born 20 February 1960) is a Libyan politician who served as the Chairman of the Presidential Council of Libya and Head of Government of the Government of National Accord from 2016 to 2021, ...

(Chairman of the Presidential Council and Prime minister)
{{flagicon, Libya Fathi Bashagha
(Minister of Interior)
{{flagicon, Libya
Salah Eddine al-Namrush (, plural , romanized: or Old Arabic ͡sˤaˈloːh, ( or Old Arabic ͡sˤaˈloːtʰin construct state) ), also known as ( fa, نماز) and also spelled , are prayers performed by Muslims. Facing the , the direction of the Kaaba with ...

(Minister of Defence)
{{flagicon image, Flag of the Libyan National Army.svg Gen.
Mohammad Ali al-Haddad Muhammad ( ar, مُحَمَّد;  570 – 8 June 632 Common Era, CE) was an Arab religious, social, and political leader and the founder of Islam. According to Muhammad in Islam, Islamic doctrine, he was a prophet Divine inspiration, di ...

(Chief of the General Staff of the Libyan Army)
{{flagicon image, Flag of the Libyan Navy.svg
Abdul Hakim Abu Hawliyeh Abdul (also Romanization of Arabic, transliterated as Abdal, Abdel, Abdil, Abdol, Abdool, or Abdoul; ar, عبد ال, ) is the most frequent transliteration of the combination of the Arabic word ''Abd (Arabic), Abd'' (, meaning "Servant") and th ...
(Chief of the
Libyan Navy Libyan Navy ( ar, قوات البحرية الليبية) is the branch of the Libyan military responsible for naval warfare. Established in November 1962, Libyan Navy has been headed by Admiral Mansour Bader, Chief of Staff of the Libyan Naval F ...
) (GNA-aligned)
{{flagicon image, Flag of the Libyan Navy.svg Col. Rida Issa (Commander of Libyan Navy) (GNA-aligned)
{{flagicon image, Flag of the Libyan National Army.svg Maj. Gen.
Osama Juwaili Major General Osama al-Juwaili ( ar, أسامة الجويلي) is a Libyan military officer who served as Minister of Defence in the government of Abdurrahim El-Keib, Libya's interim Prime Minister. Since the formation of the Government of Nation ...

(Commander of the Western Military Zone)
{{flagicon image, Flag of the Libyan National Army.svg Maj. Gen.
Abubaker Marwan Abū Bakr ( ar, أبو بكر ) is an Arabic given name meaning "Father of a Young Camel" (Abu meaning 'Father of' and Bakr meaning 'Young Camel') that is widely used by Sunni Muslims. Other transliterations include Abu Bakar, Abu Bekr, Ebubekir, ...

(Commander of Tripoli Military Zone)
{{flagicon image, Flag of the Libyan National Army.svg Maj. Gen.
Mohamed Elhadad Muhammad was an Islamic prophet and a religious and political leader who preached and established Islam. Muhammad and variations may also refer to: *Muhammad (name), a given name and surname, and list of people with the name and its variations ...

(Commander of the Central Military Zone)
{{flagicon image, Flag of the Libyan National Army.svg Gen.
Ali Kanna Ali Kanna Sulayman (born 1945) is a Libyan lieutenant general of Tuareg origin. He was the commander of Muammar Gaddafi's southern forces in the First Libyan Civil War. After the end of the Fezzan campaign, he fled to Agadez and helped other Gadda ...

(Commander of the Southern Military Zone) , commander3 = {{flagicon, Libya
Nouri Abusahmain Nouri Abusahmain ( ar, نوري أبو سهمين; born October 25, 1956) is a Libyan politician. He is a major figure on the Islamist side of the 2014 Libyan Conflict and founder of the LROR group which is considered "terrorist" by the interna ...
(2014–16)
(President of the GNC)
{{flagicon, Libya
Khalifa al-Ghawil Khalifa al-Ghawil, sometimes transliterated as Khalifa al-Ghweil ( ar, خليفة الغويل) or Ghwell, is a Libyan politician. He was the prime minister of the General National Congress-led National Salvation Government in Tripoli. Biogra ...
(2015–2017)
(
Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...
)
{{flagicon, Libya
Sadiq Al-Ghariani Al-Sadiq Abd al-Rahman Ali al-Ghariani (alternative spelling include ''Saadiq'', ''Sadeq'' and ''Sadik'') (Arabic: الصادق عبد الرحمن علي الغرياني) has been the Grand Mufti of Libya since 2012. He is a Muslim imam of the ...

( Grand Mufti) ---- {{flagicon image, Flag of Ansar al-Sharia (Libya).svg Abu Khalid al Madani{{KIA
(Ansar al-Sharia Leader)
{{flagicon image, Flag of Jihad.svg
Mokhtar Belmokhtar Mokhtar Belmokhtar (; ar, مختار بلمختار;pronounced in Algerian Arabic as born 1 June 1972), also known as Khalid Abu al-Abbas, The One-Eyed, Nelson, and The Uncatchable, is an Algerian leader of the group Al-Murabitoun, former mil ...

(Commander of Al-Mourabitoun, believed dead)
{{flagicon image, Flag of Jihad.svg Musa Abu Dawud{{KIA (AQIM southern Zone commander) {{flagicon image, Flag of Ansar al-Sharia (Libya).svg Mohamed al-Zahawi{{KIA{{cite news, title=Leader of Libyan Islamists Ansar al-Sharia dies of wounds, url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-libya-security-idUSKBN0KW1MU20150123, publisher=Reuters, date=23 January 2015, access-date=23 January 2015
(Former Ansar al-Sharia Leader)
{{flagicon image, Flag of Jihad.svg
Ateyah Al-Shaari Ateyah Al-Shaari ( 2018; ar, عطية سعد الشاعري) is or was a Libyan rebel leader of the Shura Council of Mujahideen in Derna, which he dissolved into the Derna Protection Force on 11 May 2018, during the Libyan National Army The ...
DMSC The Durbar Mahila Samanwaya Committee ( bn, দুর্বার মহিলা সমন্বয় সমিতি ''Durbar Mohila Shômonbôe Shomiti'' "Unstoppable Women's Synthesis Committee"), or simply Durbar, is a collective of 65,0 ...
/ DPF leader
{{flagicon image, Flag of Jihad.svg Wissam Ben Hamid{{KIA
(Libya Shield 1 Commander)
{{flagicon image, Flag of Jihad.svg Salim Derby{{KIA
(Commander of
Abu Salim Martyrs Brigade The Abu Salim Martyrs Brigade was an Islamist militia that advocated for the implementation of Sharia law within Derna, Libya. The group was known for enforcing strict social rules in the city. Background The Abu Salim Martyrs Brigade was create ...
) , commander4 = {{flagdeco, Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant Abu Nabil al-Anbari{{KIA (Top ISIL leader in Libya){{cite web, url=http://www.defense.gov/News/News-Releases/News-Release-View/Article/633221/statement-from-pentagon-press-secretary-peter-cook-on-nov-13-airstrike-in-libya?source=GovDelivery , title=Statement from Pentagon Press Secretary Peter Cook on Nov. 13 airstrike in Libya > U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE > News Release View , publisher=Defense.gov , access-date=10 December 2015
{{flagdeco, Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant Abu Hudhayfah al-Muhajir
(ISIL governor of Wilayat Tripolitania) , strength1 = , strength2 = , strength3 = , strength4 = , casualties1 = , casualties2 = , casualties3 = , casualties4 = , casualties5 = 14,882+ killed (2014–2018, 2019–2020, incomplete){{cite news, url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jan/14/libyan-warlord-haftar-leaves-moscow-without-signing-ceasefire-deal, title=Libyan warlord Haftar leaves Moscow without signing ceasefire deal, author=Patrick Wintour, date=14 January 2020, accessdate=19 January 2022, agency=The Guardian
{{cite web, url=https://unsmil.unmissions.org/one-year-destructive-war-libya-unsmil-renews-calls-immediate-cessation-hostilities-and-unity-combat, title=ONE YEAR OF DESTRUCTIVE WAR IN LIBYA, UNSMIL RENEWS CALLS FOR IMMEDIATE CESSATION OF HOSTILITIES AND UNITY TO COMBAT COVID-19, author=, publisher=United Nations Support Mission in Libya, date=4 April 2020, accessdate=19 January 2022
{{cite web, url=https://www.un.org/press/en/2020/sgsm20166.doc.htm, title=Negotiated Solution in Libya Crucial as Foreign Interference Grows, Thousands Flee Homes, Secretary-General Warns Security Council, Stressing Time 'Not on Our Side', author=, publisher=United Nations, date=8 July 2020, accessdate=19 January 2022
, notes = , campaignbox = {{Campaignbox Second Libyan Civil War {{Campaignbox Libyan Crisis (2011–present) The Second Libyan Civil War was a multilateral civil war that lasted from 2014 to 2020 in the
North Africa North Africa, or Northern Africa is a region encompassing the northern portion of the African continent. There is no singularly accepted scope for the region, and it is sometimes defined as stretching from the Atlantic shores of Mauritania in ...
n country of
Libya Libya (; ar, ليبيا, Lībiyā), officially the State of Libya ( ar, دولة ليبيا, Dawlat Lībiyā), is a country in the Maghreb region in North Africa. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to Egypt–Libya bo ...
fought between different armed groups, mainly the
House of Representatives House of Representatives is the name of legislative bodies in many countries and sub-national entitles. In many countries, the House of Representatives is the lower house of a bicameral legislature, with the corresponding upper house often c ...
(HoR) and the
Government of National Accord The Government of National Accord ( ar, حكومة الوفاق الوطني) was an interim government for Libya that was formed under the terms of the Libyan Political Agreement, a United Nations–led initiative, signed on 17 December 2015. Th ...
. The General National Congress (GNC), based in western Libya and backed by various militias with some support from
Qatar Qatar (, ; ar, قطر, Qaṭar ; local vernacular pronunciation: ), officially the State of Qatar,) is a country in Western Asia. It occupies the Qatar Peninsula on the northeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in the Middle East; it sh ...
and
Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a list of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolia, Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with ...
,{{cite news, last1=Stephen, first1=Chris, date=29 August 2014, title=War in Libya – The Guardian briefing, work=The Guardian, url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/aug/29/-sp-briefing-war-in-libya, access-date=19 February 2015 initially accepted the results of the 2014 election, but rejected them after the Supreme Constitutional Court nullified an amendment regarding the roadmap for Libya's transition and HoR elections. 3/sup> The House of Representatives (or Council of Deputies) is in control of eastern and central Libya and has the loyalty of the
Libyan National Army The Libyan National Army (LNA; ar, الجيش الوطني الليبي, ''al-jaysh al-waṭaniyy al-Lībii'') is a component of Libya's military forces which were nominally a unified national force under the command of Field Marshal Khalifa Ha ...
(LNA), and has been supported by airstrikes by
Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediter ...
and the
UAE The United Arab Emirates (UAE; ar, اَلْإِمَارَات الْعَرَبِيَة الْمُتَحِدَة ), or simply the Emirates ( ar, الِْإمَارَات ), is a country in Western Asia (The Middle East). It is located at th ...
. Due to controversy about constitutional amendments, HoR refused to take office from GNC in Tripoli, which was controlled by armed Islamist groups from
Misrata Misrata ( ; also spelled Misurata or Misratah; ar, مصراتة, Miṣrāta ) is a city in the Misrata District in northwestern Libya, situated to the east of Tripoli and west of Benghazi on the Mediterranean coast near Cape Misrata. With ...
. Instead, HoR established its parliament in Tobruk, which is controlled by General Haftar's forces. In December 2015, the
Libyan Political Agreement The Libyan House of Representatives (HoR) ( ar, مجلس النواب, translit=Majlis al-Nuwaab, translation=Council of Deputies) is the legislature of Libya resulting from the 2014 Libyan parliamentary election, which had an 18% turnout. In ...
was signed after talks in
Skhirat Skhirat ( ar, الصخيرات; Berber: ⴰⵙⵖⵉⵔⵔⴰⵜ) is a seaside town in Morocco situated between the administrative capital Rabat and the economic centre of Casablanca, known within Morocco for its idyllic beaches on the edge of th ...
, as the result of protracted negotiations between rival political camps based in Tripoli, Tobruk, and elsewhere which agreed to unite as the
Government of National Accord The Government of National Accord ( ar, حكومة الوفاق الوطني) was an interim government for Libya that was formed under the terms of the Libyan Political Agreement, a United Nations–led initiative, signed on 17 December 2015. Th ...
(GNA). On 30 March 2016,
Fayez Sarraj Fayez Mustafa al-Sarraj ( ar, فائز السراج or ; born 20 February 1960) is a Libyan politician who served as the Chairman of the Presidential Council of Libya and Head of Government of the Government of National Accord from 2016 to 2021, ...
, the head of GNA, arrived in Tripoli and began working from there despite opposition from GNC. In addition to those three factions, there are: the Islamist Shura Council of Benghazi Revolutionaries, led by
Ansar al-Sharia Ansar al-Sharia or Ansar al-Shariah is a name used by a collection of radical or militant Islamist groups or militias, in at least eight countries. While they share names and ideology, they lack a unified command structure. *Ansar al-Sharia (Yemen) ...
, which had the support of the GNC and was defeated in
Benghazi Benghazi () , ; it, Bengasi; tr, Bingazi; ber, Bernîk, script=Latn; also: ''Bengasi'', ''Benghasi'', ''Banghāzī'', ''Binghāzī'', ''Bengazi''; grc, Βερενίκη (''Berenice'') and ''Hesperides''., group=note (''lit. Son of he Ghazi ...
in 2017;{{cite news, date=1 August 2014, work=The International Business Times , title=Ansar Al-Sharia Claims Control Of Benghazi, Declares Islamic Emirate In Libya, url=http://www.ibtimes.com/ansar-al-sharia-claims-control-benghazi-declares-islamic-emirate-libya-1645328
{{cite news , newspaper=The Star , date=31 October 2014 , url=http://www.thestar.com.my/News/World/2014/10/31/Libyan-army-says-recaptures-four-barracks-in-Benghazi/ , title=Libyan army says recaptures four barracks in Benghazi
{{cite news, url=http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2017-12/29/c_136858201.htm, archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171228234515/http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2017-12/29/c_136858201.htm, url-status=dead, archive-date=28 December 2017, title=Libyan army takes over remaining militant stronghold in Benghazi, agency=Xinhua News Agency the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant's (ISIL's) Libyan provinces; the
Shura Council of Mujahideen in Derna The Shura Council of Mujahideen in Derna ( ar, مجلس شورى مجاهدي درنة) was a coalition of Islamist militias that advocated the implementation of Sharia law within Derna, Libya. Besides seeking to implement strict social mores in ...
which expelled ISIL from Derna in July 2015 and was later itself defeated in Derna by the Tobruk government in 2018;{{cite web, url=http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/isis-libya-islamic-state-driven-out-derna-stronghold-by-al-qaeda-linked-militia-1506241, title=Isis in Libya: Islamic State driven out of Derna stronghold by al-Qaeda-linked militia, work=International Business Times UK, date=15 June 2015, access-date=4 July 2015 as well as other armed groups and militias whose allegiances often change. In May 2016, GNA and GNC launched a joint offensive to capture areas in and around
Sirte Sirte (; ar, سِرْت, ), also spelled Sirt, Surt, Sert or Syrte, is a city in Libya. It is located south of the Gulf of Sirte, between Tripoli and Benghazi. It is famously known for its battles, ethnic groups, and loyalty to Muammar G ...
from ISIL. This offensive resulted in ISIL losing control of all significant territories previously held in Libya.{{cite news, title=Attack on Sirte "imminent" says Presidency Council's new Operations Room, url=https://www.libyaherald.com/2016/05/07/attack-in-sirte-imminent-says-presidency-councils-new-operations-room/, access-date=7 May 2016, work=Libya Herald, date=7 May 2016
{{cite news, title=Central Region Joint Operations Room announces all-out war on ISIS in Sirte, url=http://www.libyanexpress.com/central-region-joint-operations-room-announces-all-out-war-isis-in-sirte/, access-date=7 May 2016, work=Libyan Express, date=7 May 2016
{{cite web, url=https://www.libyaherald.com/2016/05/16/misratans-report-they-have-recaptured-abu-grein-from-is/, work=Libya Herald, title=Misratans report they have recaptured Abu Grain from IS , access-date=16 May 2016, date=16 May 2016
{{cite web, url=http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/06/libyan-forces-retake-port-isil-bastion-sirte-160611131347272.html, title=Freed Gaddafi loyalists found dead in Libya's Tripoli, publisher=Al Jazeera , date=12 June 2016, access-date=24 June 2016
{{cite web, url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-libya-security-idUSKCN0YL1V0, title=Libyan security forces pushing Islamic State back from vicinity of oil terminals, publisher=Reuters, access-date=2016-05-31, date=2016-05-31
{{cite web, url=http://www.libyaobserver.ly/news/al-bunyan-al-marsoos-captures-harawa-district-says-will-free-sirte-two-days, title=Al-Bunyan Al-Marsoos captures Harawa district, says will free Sirte in two days, work=The Libya Observer, access-date=2016-12-07, date=2016-06-09
{{cite news, url=https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSKBN13V15R, title=Libyan forces clear last Islamic State hold-out in Sirte, date=6 December 2016, work=Reuters, access-date=6 December 2016
{{cite web, url=http://www.dailysabah.com/africa/2016/12/06/libyan-forces-seize-last-daesh-positions-in-sirte, title=Libyan forces seize last Daesh positions in Sirte, work=Daily Sabah, date=6 December 2016, access-date=6 December 2016
Later in 2016, forces loyal to
Khalifa al-Ghawil Khalifa al-Ghawil, sometimes transliterated as Khalifa al-Ghweil ( ar, خليفة الغويل) or Ghwell, is a Libyan politician. He was the prime minister of the General National Congress-led National Salvation Government in Tripoli. Biogra ...
attempted a
coup d'état A coup d'état (; French for 'stroke of state'), also known as a coup or overthrow, is a seizure and removal of a government and its powers. Typically, it is an illegal seizure of power by a political faction, politician, cult, rebel group, m ...
against Fayez al-Sarraj and the Presidential Council of GNA. On 4 April 2019,
Khalifa Haftar Field Marshal Khalifa Belqasim Haftar ( ar, خليفة بلقاسم حفتر, Ḵalīfa Bilqāsim Ḥaftar; born 7 November 1943) is a Libyan-American politician, military officer, and the commander of the Tobruk-based Libyan National Army (LNA) ...
, the commander of the
Libyan National Army The Libyan National Army (LNA; ar, الجيش الوطني الليبي, ''al-jaysh al-waṭaniyy al-Lībii'') is a component of Libya's military forces which were nominally a unified national force under the command of Field Marshal Khalifa Ha ...
, called on his military forces to advance on Tripoli, the capital of the internationally recognized government of Libya, in the
2019–20 Western Libya campaign The Western Libya campaign was a military campaign initiated on 4 April 2019 by the Operation Flood of Dignity ( ar, عملية طوفان الكرامة) of the Libyan National Army, which represents the Libyan House of Representatives, to cap ...
This was met with reproach from United Nations Secretary General
António Guterres António Manuel de Oliveira Guterres ( , ; born 30 April 1949) is a Portuguese politician and diplomat. Since 2017, he has served as secretary-general of the United Nations, the ninth person to hold this title. A member of the Portuguese Socia ...
and the
United Nations Security Council The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is one of the Organs of the United Nations, six principal organs of the United Nations (UN) and is charged with ensuring international security, international peace and security, recommending the admi ...
. On 23 October 2020, the ''5+5 Joint Libyan Military Commission'' representing the LNA and the GNA reached a " permanent ceasefire agreement in all areas of Libya". The agreement, effective immediately, required that all foreign fighters leave Libya within three months while a joint police force would patrol disputed areas. The first commercial flight between Tripoli and Benghazi took place that same day.{{cite news , last1=Nebehay , first1=Stephanie , last2=McDowall , first2=Angus , editor1-last=Jones, editor1-first=Gareth , editor2-last=Maclean , editor2-first=William, title=Warring Libya rivals sign truce but tough political talks ahead , url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-libya-security-ceasefire/warring-libya-rivals-sign-truce-but-tough-political-talks-ahead-idUSKBN2781BD?il=0 , access-date=23 October 2020 , work=
Reuters Reuters ( ) is a news agency owned by Thomson Reuters Corporation. It employs around 2,500 journalists and 600 photojournalists in about 200 locations worldwide. Reuters is one of the largest news agencies in the world. The agency was estab ...
, date=23 October 2020
{{cite news , title=UN says Libya sides reach 'permanent ceasefire' deal , url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/10/23/un-says-libya-sides-reach-permanent-ceasefire-deal , access-date=23 October 2020 , agency=
Al Jazeera Al Jazeera ( ar, الجزيرة, translit-std=DIN, translit=al-jazīrah, , "The Island") is a state-owned Arabic-language international radio and TV broadcaster of Qatar. It is based in Doha and operated by the media conglomerate Al Jazeera ...
, date=23 October 2020
On 10 March 2021, an interim unity government was formed, which was slated to remain in place until the
next Libyan presidential election The Libyan presidential election had originally been planned for 10 December 2018, but was delayed due to Khalifa Haftar's Western Libya campaign. The election was thereafter scheduled to be held on 24 December 2021 but was indefinitely postpon ...
scheduled for 10 December.{{cite news, url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/3/10/libyan-lawmakers-endorse-govt-of-pm-designate-dbeibah, title=Libyan lawmakers approve gov't of PM-designate Dbeibah, access-date=10 March 2021, agency=
Al Jazeera Al Jazeera ( ar, الجزيرة, translit-std=DIN, translit=al-jazīrah, , "The Island") is a state-owned Arabic-language international radio and TV broadcaster of Qatar. It is based in Doha and operated by the media conglomerate Al Jazeera ...
, date=10 March 2021
However, the election has been delayed several times since, effectively rendering the unity government in power indefinitely, causing tensions which threaten to reignite the war.


Background of discontent with General National Congress

At the beginning of 2014, Libya was governed by the General National Congress (GNC), which won the popular vote in
2012 elections The following elections occurred in the year 2012. International * 2012 United Nations Security Council election Africa Egypt * 2012 Egyptian presidential election Mali * 2012 Malian presidential election * 2012 Malian parliamentary electio ...
. The GNC was made of two major political groups, the National Forces Alliance (NFC) and the
Justice and Construction Party The Justice and Construction Party (JCP) or Justice and Development Party ( ar, حزب العدالة والبناء, ') is a political party in Libya associated with the Muslim Brotherhood. It was officially founded on 3 March 2012 in Tripol ...
(JCP). The two major groups in parliament had failed to reach political compromises on the larger more important issues that the GNC faced. Division among these parties, the row over the political isolation law, and a continuous unstable security situation greatly impacted the GNC's ability to deliver real progress towards a new constitution for Libya which was a primary task for this governing body.{{Cite book, title=Libya After Qaddafi: Lessons and Implications for the Future, last=Chivvis, first=Christopher S., publisher=RAND Corporation, year=2014 The GNC also included members associated with conservative Islamist groups as well as revolutionary groups (thuwwar). Some members of the GNC had a conflict of interest due to associations with militias and were accused of channeling government funds towards armed groups and allowing others to conduct assassinations and kidnappings. Parties holding majority of seats and some holding minority of seats began to use boycotts or threats of boycotts which increased division and suppressed relevant debates by removing them from the congressional agenda;{{cite book , last=St John , first=Ronald Bruce , date=4 June 2014 , title=Historical Dictionary of Libya , publisher=Rowman & Littlefield , page=201 voting to declare
sharia law Sharia (; ar, شريعة, sharīʿa ) is a body of religious law that forms a part of the Islamic tradition. It is derived from the Five Pillars of Islam, religious precepts of Islam and is based on the Islamic holy books, sacred scriptures o ...
and establishing a special committee to "review all existing laws to guarantee they comply with Islamic law";{{cite news , url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-libya-law-idUSBRE9B30M220131204 , title=Libyan assembly votes to follow Islamic law , publisher=Reuters, date=4 December 2013, access-date=26 August 2014 , last1=Bosalum , first1=Feras , last2=Markey , first2=Patrick imposing
gender segregation Sex segregation, sex separation, gender segregation or gender separation is the physical, legal, or cultural separation of people according to their biological sex. Sex segregation can refer simply to the physical and spatial separation by sex w ...
and compulsory
hijab In modern usage, hijab ( ar, حجاب, translit=ḥijāb, ) generally refers to headcoverings worn by Muslim women. Many Muslims believe it is obligatory for every female Muslim who has reached the age of puberty to wear a head covering. While ...
at Libyan universities; and refusing to hold new elections when its electoral mandate expired in January 2014 until General Khalifa Haftar launched a large-scale military offensive against the Islamists in May 2014, code-named Operation Dignity ( ar , عملية الكرامة; 'Amaliyat al-Karamah).


Political fragmentation of the GNC

The 2012 elections, overseen by the Libyan electoral commission with the support of the UN Special Mission In Libya (UNSMIL) and nongovernmental organizations like the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES), have been considered "fair and free" by most Libyans. However, the elections did not necessarily create a strong government because the Parliament was fragmented due to the lack of organized political parties in Libya post-revolution. The GNC was made up of two major parties, the
National Forces Alliance The National Forces Alliance ( ar, تحالف القوى الوطنية, ') is a political alliance in Libya. The alliance was created in February 2012. It includes 58 political organisations, 236 NGOs, and more than 280 independents. The allianc ...
and the Justice and Construction Party, as well as independents in which some were moderates and other conservative Islamists. The GNC became a broad-based congress. The GNA elected
Nouri Abusahmain Nouri Abusahmain ( ar, نوري أبو سهمين; born October 25, 1956) is a Libyan politician. He is a major figure on the Islamist side of the 2014 Libyan Conflict and founder of the LROR group which is considered "terrorist" by the interna ...
as president of the GNC in June 2013.{{cite web, url=http://transitions.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2013/06/26/can_the_new_libyan_president_live_up_to_expectations, title=Can the New Libyan President Live Up to Expectations?, date=26 June 2013, work=Foreign Policy, access-date=26 August 2014, author=Eljarh, Mohamed{{cite web, url=http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2014/8/4/libya-parliamentmeets.html, title=Libya's new parliament meets amid rumbling violence, date=4 August 2014, publisher=Al Jazeera America, access-date=26 August 2014 He was considered an independent Islamist and a compromise candidate acceptable to liberal members of the congress, as he was elected with 96 out of a total of 184 votes by the GNC.{{Cite book, title=ISIS enters the Stage in the Libyan Drama – How the IS Caliphate expands in Northern Africa, last=Kotra, first=Johnathan, publisher=International Institute for Counter-Terrorism (ICT)


Libya Revolutionaries Operations Room and kidnapping of Ali Zeidan

{{Main, Libya Revolutionaries Operations Room The GNC was challenged due to increasing security concerns in Tripoli. The GNC itself was attacked many times by militias and armed protesters who stormed the GNC assembly hall.{{cite web , url=http://www.dw.com/en/two-lawmakers-shot-in-libya-as-protesters-storm-parliament/a-17468646 , title=Two lawmakers shot in Libya as protesters storm parliament, date=2014-03-03, work=Deutsche Welle, access-date=2016-12-07 Following his appointment, Abusahmain was tasked with providing security. He set up the
Libya Revolutionaries Operations Room The Libya Revolutionaries Operations Room (abbreviated LROR; ar, غرفة عمليات ثوار ليبيا) is an armed group loyal to Nouri Abusahmain. It has been declared a terrorist organization by the Libyan parliament. It was heavily invol ...
(LROR), which was made up of rebels from
Gharyan Gharyan is a city in northwestern Libya, in Jabal al Gharbi District, located 80 km south of Tripoli. Prior to 2007, it was the administrative seat of Gharyan District. Gharyan is one of the largest towns in the Western Mountains. In 2005, ...
, and was initially intended to protect and secure Tripoli in August 2013. Its commander was Adel Gharyani. During this time, Abusahmain blocked inquiries into the distribution of state funds and it was alleged that Abusahmain was channeling government funding towards the LROR. In October, Libyan Prime Minister
Ali Zeidan Ali Zeidan (sometimes written as Zidan; ar, علي زيدان; born 15 December 1950) is a former Prime Minister of Libya. He was appointed by the General National Congress on 14 October 2012, and took office on 14 November after Congress approv ...
was kidnapped. It is believed to have been carried out by the LROR, although there is evidence to suggest that armed groups such as the Duru3 actually conducted the kidnapping. Following the kidnapping, Abusahmain used his presidency to change the agenda of the GNC in order to prevent them from disestablishing the LROR. At the same time, he cancelled a request to establish a committee to investigate his allocation of 900 million Libyan Dinars (US$720 million) to the LROR and various other armed groups. The GNC responded by removing Abusahmain as president and dismissing the LROR from its security function. However, the armed group was allowed to continue to operate, and no one was prosecuted for the incident.


Expansion of armed groups during the GNC's term

Many Libyans blamed the GNC and the interim government for a continued lack of security in the country. The interim government struggled to control well-armed militias and armed groups that established during the revolution. Libyans in Benghazi especially began to witness assassinations and kidnapping and perceived the GNC to be turning a blind eye to the deteriorating security situation in the east. But security concerns increased across the country, allowing armed groups to expand in Tripoli and the east. * In 2012, the
assassination Assassination is the murder of a prominent or important person, such as a head of state, head of government, politician, world leader, member of a royal family or CEO. The murder of a celebrity, activist, or artist, though they may not have ...
of the US ambassador to Libya by
Ansar al-Sharia Ansar al-Sharia or Ansar al-Shariah is a name used by a collection of radical or militant Islamist groups or militias, in at least eight countries. While they share names and ideology, they lack a unified command structure. *Ansar al-Sharia (Yemen) ...
took place. * In October 2013, the kidnapping of Prime Minister
Ali Zeidan Ali Zeidan (sometimes written as Zidan; ar, علي زيدان; born 15 December 1950) is a former Prime Minister of Libya. He was appointed by the General National Congress on 14 October 2012, and took office on 14 November after Congress approv ...
by the LROR took place. * The kidnapping of Egyptian diplomats in January 2014 also by the LROR took place. * In March 2014, armed protesters allegedly linked to the LROR stormed the GNC parliament building, shooting and injuring two lawmakers and wounding several others. In April 2014, an anti-terrorist training base called "Camp 27", located between Tripoli and the Tunisian border, was taken over by forces fighting under the control of Abd al-Muhsin Al-Libi, also known as
Ibrahim Tantoush Muhsin Al libi (born 1966 or 1969), frequently known as Ibrahim muhsin (also spelt Ibraheem muhsen), is an alleged Libyan Al-Qaeda leader. He is also connected with the alias "Ibrahim Ali Abu Bakr" as well as many other aliases including "Abdalm ...
,{{cite news, url=http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/04/23/jihadists-now-control-secretive-u-s-base-in-libya.html, title=Jihadists Now Control Secretive U.S. Base in Libya, work=The Daily Beast, date=23 April 2014, access-date=14 October 2014, last1=Lake, first1=Eli a long-serving
Al-Qaeda Al-Qaeda (; , ) is an Islamic extremism, Islamic extremist organization composed of Salafist jihadists. Its members are mostly composed of Arab, Arabs, but also include other peoples. Al-Qaeda has mounted attacks on civilian and military ta ...
organizer and former member of the
Libyan Islamic Fighting Group The Libyan Islamic Fighting Group (LIFG), also known as ''Al-Jama'a al-Islamiyyah al-Muqatilah bi-Libya'' ( ar, الجماعة الإسلامية المقاتلة بليبيا), was an armed Islamist group. Militants participated in the 2011 Liby ...
.{{cite web, url=https://www.un.org/sc/committees/1267/NSQI05702E.shtml , title=QI.T.57.02. IBRAHIM ALI ABU BAKR TANTOUSH , publisher=Un.org , access-date=14 October 2014 , url-status=dead , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141105142653/http://www.un.org/sc/committees/1267/NSQI05702E.shtml , archive-date=5 November 2014 The Islamist forces at Camp 27 have subsequently been described as part of the
Libya Shield Force The Libya Shield Force is an armed organisation formed in 2012 out of anti-Gaddafi armed groups spread throughout Libya. The Libyan parliament designated much of the Libya Shield Force as terrorist and elements of the Libya Shield Force were ide ...
.{{cite web, url=http://www.libyaherald.com/2014/08/05/warshefana-take-camp-27-from-libya-shield/, title=Warshefana take Camp 27 from Libya Shield, work=Libya Herald, access-date=14 October 2014 The Libya Shield Force was already identified by some observers as linked to
al-Qaeda Al-Qaeda (; , ) is an Islamic extremism, Islamic extremist organization composed of Salafist jihadists. Its members are mostly composed of Arab, Arabs, but also include other peoples. Al-Qaeda has mounted attacks on civilian and military ta ...
as early as 2012.{{cite web, url=http://www.inquisitr.com/366355/libyan-milita-units-that-aided-u-s-marines-during-embassy-attack-linked-to-al-qaeda/, title=Libyan Militia Units That Aided U.S. Marines During Embassy Attack Linked To Al-Qaeda, work=The Inquisitr News, access-date=14 October 2014{{cite book, url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-RuH8O3Pel0C&q=%22libya+shield%22+al-qaeda&pg=PT27, title=The Jihadist Plot, access-date=14 October 2014, isbn=9781594036828, date=10 October 2013, last1=Rosenthal, first1=John


GNC's political isolation law

Although Islamists were outnumbered by Liberals and
Centrist Centrism is a political outlook or position involving acceptance or support of a balance of social equality and a degree of social hierarchy while opposing political changes that would result in a significant shift of society strongly to the l ...
s in the GNC, in May 2013 they lobbied for a law "banning virtually everyone who had participated in Gaddafi's government from holding public office". While several Islamist political parties and independents supported the law, as they generally had no associations to the Gaddafi regime, the law enjoyed strong public support. The law particularly impacts elite expatriates and leaders of liberal parties. There existed reservations that such a law would eliminate technocratic expertise needed in Libya at the time. Armed militiamen stormed government ministries, shut down the GNC itself and demanded the law's passage. This intimidated the GNC into passing the law in which 164 members approved the bill, with only four abstaining and no member opposing it.


Suppression of women's rights

GNC opponents argue that it was supporting Islamist actions against women.
Sadiq Ghariani Al-Sadiq Abd al-Rahman Ali al-Ghariani (alternative spelling include ''Saadiq'', ''Sadeq'' and ''Sadik'') (Arabic: الصادق عبد الرحمن علي الغرياني) has been the Grand Mufti of Libya since 2012. He is a Muslim imam of the ...
, the Grand Mufti of Libya, is perceived to be linked closely to Islamist parties. He has issued fatwas ordering Muslims to obey the GNC, and fatwas ordering Muslims to fight against Haftar's forces In March 2013, Sadiq Ghariani, issued a fatwa against the ''UN Report on Violence Against Women and Girls''. He condemned the UN report for "advocating immorality and indecency in addition to rebelliousness against religion and clear objections to the laws contained in the Quran and Sunnah". Soon after the Grand Mufti issued a clarification op-ed that there should be no discrimination between men and women yet women have a greater role in the family. Later in 2013, lawyer Hamida Al-Hadi Al-Asfar, advocate of women's rights, was abducted, tortured and killed. It is alleged she was targeted for criticising the Grand Mufti's declaration. No arrests were made. In June 2013, two politicians, Ali Tekbali and Fathi Sager, appeared in court for "insulting Islam" for publishing a cartoon promoting women's rights. Under sharia law they were facing a possible death penalty.{{Citation needed, date=July 2022 The case caused widespread concern although they were eventually acquitted in March 2014. After the GNC was forced to accept new elections, Ali Tekbali was elected to the new House of Representatives.{{Citation needed, date=July 2022 During
Nouri Abusahmain Nouri Abusahmain ( ar, نوري أبو سهمين; born October 25, 1956) is a Libyan politician. He is a major figure on the Islamist side of the 2014 Libyan Conflict and founder of the LROR group which is considered "terrorist" by the interna ...
's presidency of the GNC and subsequent to GNC's decision to enforce sharia law in December 2013, gender segregation and compulsory hijab were being imposed in Libyan universities from early 2014, provoking strong criticism from Women's Rights groups. A Netherlands-based global advocacy organization, Cordaid, reported that violence against Libyan women at the hands of militias frequently goes unpunished. Cordaid also noted that restricted freedom of movement, driven by fear of violence, has led to declines in schooling among women and girls.


GNC extends its mandate without elections

The GNC failed to stand down at the end of its electoral mandate in January 2014, unilaterally voting on 23 December 2013 to extend its power for at least one year. This caused widespread unease and some protests. Residents of the eastern city of Shahat, along with protesters from Bayda and Sousse, staged a large demonstration, rejecting the GNC's extension plan and demanding the resignation of the congress followed by a peaceful power transition to a legitimate body. They also protested the lack of security, blaming the GNC for failing to build the army and police. Other Libyans rejecting the proposed mandate rallied in Tripoli's Martyrs Square and outside Benghazi's Tibesti Hotel, calling for the freeze of political parties and the re-activation of the country's security system.{{cite web, url=http://magharebia.com/en_GB/articles/awi/features/2014/02/10/feature-02, title=Libyans reject GNC extension, publisher=Magharebia, date=10 February 2014, access-date=20 August 2014, author1=Mohamed, Essam , author2=Al-Majbari, Fathia On 14 February 2014, General
Khalifa Haftar Field Marshal Khalifa Belqasim Haftar ( ar, خليفة بلقاسم حفتر, Ḵalīfa Bilqāsim Ḥaftar; born 7 November 1943) is a Libyan-American politician, military officer, and the commander of the Tobruk-based Libyan National Army (LNA) ...
ordered the GNC to dissolve and called for the formation of a
caretaker government A caretaker government is a temporary ''ad hoc'' government that performs some governmental duties and functions in a country until a regular government is elected or formed. Depending on specific practice, it usually consists of either randomly se ...
committee to oversee new elections. However, his actions had little effect on the GNC, which called his actions "an attempted coup" and called Haftar himself "ridiculous" and labelled him an aspiring dictator. The GNC continued to operate as before. No arrests were made. Haftar launched Operation Dignity three months later on 16 May.


House of Representatives versus GNC

On 25 May 2014, about one week after Khalifa Haftar started his "Operation Dignity" offensive against the General National Congress, that body set 25 June 2014 as the date for new elections.{{cite web , url=http://www.ignc.net.ly/the-thirty-fifth-report/ , title=The Thirty-Fifth Report – May 15 – May 30, 2014 , publisher=Eye on the General National Congress , date=15 June 2014 , access-date=29 August 2014 , url-status=dead , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140903100813/http://www.ignc.net.ly/the-thirty-fifth-report/ , archive-date=3 September 2014 , df=dmy-all Islamists were defeated, but rejected the results of the election, which saw only an 18% turnout. They accused the new
House of Representatives House of Representatives is the name of legislative bodies in many countries and sub-national entitles. In many countries, the House of Representatives is the lower house of a bicameral legislature, with the corresponding upper house often c ...
parliament of being dominated by supporters of Gaddafi, and they continued to support the old GNC after the Council officially replaced it on 4 August 2014. The conflict escalated on 13 July 2014, when Tripoli's Islamists and
Misrata Misrata ( ; also spelled Misurata or Misratah; ar, مصراتة, Miṣrāta ) is a city in the Misrata District in northwestern Libya, situated to the east of Tripoli and west of Benghazi on the Mediterranean coast near Cape Misrata. With ...
n militias launched "Operation Libya Dawn" to seize
Tripoli International Airport Tripoli International Airport () is a closed international airport built to serve Tripoli, the capital city of Libya. The airport is located in the area of Qasr bin Ghashir, from central Tripoli. It used to be the hub for Libyan Airlines, Af ...
, capturing it from the
Zintan Zintan ( ar, الزنتان Latin: Tentheos, Berber language: ''Zintan'' or ''Tigharmin'' or ''Tiɣaṛmin'', meaning "small castles") is one of the biggest cities in north western Libya, situated roughly southwest of Tripoli, in the area. The ...
militia on 23 August. Shortly thereafter, members of the GNC, who had rejected the June election, reconvened as a
new General National Congress The General National Congress or General National Council (GNC; ar, المؤتمر الوطني العام, Berber: Agraw Amuran Amatay) was the legislative authority of Libya for two years following the end of the First Libyan Civil War. It w ...
and voted themselves as replacement of the newly elected House of Representatives, with Tripoli as their political capital,
Nouri Abusahmain Nouri Abusahmain ( ar, نوري أبو سهمين; born October 25, 1956) is a Libyan politician. He is a major figure on the Islamist side of the 2014 Libyan Conflict and founder of the LROR group which is considered "terrorist" by the interna ...
as president and
Omar al-Hasi Omar al-Hassi ( ar, عمر الحاسي) (born March 30, 1959 in Benghazi, Libya) is a professor of political science at University of Benghazi in Libyan politician. He was the prime minister of the General National Congress-led National Salvati ...
as prime minister. As a consequence, the majority of the House of Representatives were forced to relocate to
Tobruk Tobruk or Tobruck (; grc, Ἀντίπυργος, ''Antipyrgos''; la, Antipyrgus; it, Tobruch; ar, طبرق, Tubruq ''Ṭubruq''; also transliterated as ''Tobruch'' and ''Tubruk'') is a port city on Libya's eastern Mediterranean coast, near th ...
, aligning themselves with Haftar's forces and eventually nominating him army chief.{{cite news, title=Libya names anti-Islamist General Haftar as army chief, url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-31698755, work=BBC News, date=2 March 2015 On 6 November, the supreme court in Tripoli, dominated by the new GNC, declared the House of Representatives dissolved. The House of Representatives rejected this ruling as made "under threat". On 16 January 2015, the Operation Dignity and Operation Libya Dawn factions agreed on a ceasefire.{{cite news, url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-libya-security-idUSKBN0KP0VL20150116, title=Libya parties agree to more talks; two factions call ceasefire, publisher=Reuters , access-date=29 January 2015, date=16 January 2015 The country was then led by two separate governments, with Tripoli and
Misrata Misrata ( ; also spelled Misurata or Misratah; ar, مصراتة, Miṣrāta ) is a city in the Misrata District in northwestern Libya, situated to the east of Tripoli and west of Benghazi on the Mediterranean coast near Cape Misrata. With ...
controlled by forces loyal to Libya Dawn and the new GNC in Tripoli, while the international community recognized Abdullah al-Thani's government and its parliament in Tobruk.{{cite news , url=http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2015/02/tripoli-backed-fighters-sirte-confront-isil-150217152905350.html , date=Feb 2015 , title=Tripoli-backed fighters sent to Sirte to confront ISIL , publisher=Al Jazeera Benghazi remained contested between pro-Haftar forces and radical Islamists.


Opposing forces


Pro-GNC

The pro-GNC forces were a coalition of different militias with different ideologies although most of them are Islamist influenced especially in eastern Libya in
Benghazi Benghazi () , ; it, Bengasi; tr, Bingazi; ber, Bernîk, script=Latn; also: ''Bengasi'', ''Benghasi'', ''Banghāzī'', ''Binghāzī'', ''Bengazi''; grc, Βερενίκη (''Berenice'') and ''Hesperides''., group=note (''lit. Son of he Ghazi ...
and Derna. Since LPA negotiations started in Skhirat there has been a rift within the militias over support for the UN-sponsored talks and the proposed Government of National Accord, which seeks to unite the rival governments.{{cite news, title=Guide to key Libyan militias, work=BBC News, date=11 January 2016, url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-19744533 Since GNA started working from Tripoli in March 2015, Libya Dawn coalition the largest of Pro-GNC militias has been disbanded and most of its forces changed allegiances to GNA.


Libya Dawn

The Islamist "
Libya Dawn The National Salvation Government ( ar, حكومة الإنقاذ الوطني) was a government body formed by politicians from the General National Congress's blocs that lost the June 2014 elections in Libya. The NSG was led by Khalifa al- ...
" has been described as "an uneasy coalition" identified as "terrorists" by the elected parliament in
Tobruk Tobruk or Tobruck (; grc, Ἀντίπυργος, ''Antipyrgos''; la, Antipyrgus; it, Tobruch; ar, طبرق, Tubruq ''Ṭubruq''; also transliterated as ''Tobruch'' and ''Tubruk'') is a port city on Libya's eastern Mediterranean coast, near th ...
including "former
al-Qaeda Al-Qaeda (; , ) is an Islamic extremism, Islamic extremist organization composed of Salafist jihadists. Its members are mostly composed of Arab, Arabs, but also include other peoples. Al-Qaeda has mounted attacks on civilian and military ta ...
jihadists" who fought against Qaddafi in the 1990s, members of Libya's branch of the
Muslim Brotherhood The Society of the Muslim Brothers ( ar, جماعة الإخوان المسلمين'' ''), better known as the Muslim Brotherhood ( ', is a transnational Sunni Islamist organization founded in Egypt by Islamic scholar and schoolteacher Hassan ...
, and a "network of conservative merchants" from
Misrata Misrata ( ; also spelled Misurata or Misratah; ar, مصراتة, Miṣrāta ) is a city in the Misrata District in northwestern Libya, situated to the east of Tripoli and west of Benghazi on the Mediterranean coast near Cape Misrata. With ...
, whose fighters make up "the largest block of Libya Dawn's forces".{{cite magazine, last1=Anderson, first1=Jon Lee, title=Letter from Libya. The Unravelling , magazine=The New Yorker, date=23 February 2015, url=https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/02/23/unravelling?int, access-date=18 February 2015 The coalition was formed in 2014 as a reaction against General
Khalifa Haftar Field Marshal Khalifa Belqasim Haftar ( ar, خليفة بلقاسم حفتر, Ḵalīfa Bilqāsim Ḥaftar; born 7 November 1943) is a Libyan-American politician, military officer, and the commander of the Tobruk-based Libyan National Army (LNA) ...
failed coup and to defeat Zintan brigades controlling
Tripoli International Airport Tripoli International Airport () is a closed international airport built to serve Tripoli, the capital city of Libya. The airport is located in the area of Qasr bin Ghashir, from central Tripoli. It used to be the hub for Libyan Airlines, Af ...
whose aligned with him. The Zawia tribe has been allied to Libya Dawn since August 2014,{{cite web, url=http://www.libyaninsider.com/violent-clashes-zawia/, title=Violent Clashes in Zawia, work=The Libyan Insider, access-date=6 April 2015, url-status=dead , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150129044159/http://www.libyaninsider.com/violent-clashes-zawia/, archive-date=29 January 2015, df=dmy-all although in June 2014 at least one Zawia army unit had appeared to side with General Haftar, and reports in December claimed Zawia forces were openly considering breaking away from Libya Dawn.{{cite web, url=http://www.libyaherald.com/2014/12/07/more-air-raids-as-national-army-claims-west-advances-while-zawia-reviews-dawn-commitment/#axzz3NbYucI2B, title=More air raids as national army claims west advances while Zawia "reviews Dawn commitment" -, work=Libya Herald Zawia militia have been heavily fighting the Warshefana tribe. In the current conflict, the Warshefana have been strongly identified with the forces fighting against both Libya Dawn and Al Qaeda. Zawia has been involved in a long-standing tribal conflict with the neighbouring Warshefana tribe since 2011.{{cite news, url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-15726099, title=Libyan factions in deadly clashes near Zawiya, work=BBC News, access-date=29 January 2015, date=14 November 2011 The motivations of the Zawia brigades participation in the war have been described as unrelated to religion and instead deriving foremost from tribal conflict with the Warshafana and secondarily as a result of opposition to the Zintani brigades and General Haftar. When the head of GNA
Fayez Sarraj Fayez Mustafa al-Sarraj ( ar, فائز السراج or ; born 20 February 1960) is a Libyan politician who served as the Chairman of the Presidential Council of Libya and Head of Government of the Government of National Accord from 2016 to 2021, ...
arrived in Tripoli, Libya Dawn has been disbanded as the interests of the militias forming it conflicted when some of them choose to support GNA others chose to stay loyal to GNC.


Libya Shield

The
Libya Shield Force The Libya Shield Force is an armed organisation formed in 2012 out of anti-Gaddafi armed groups spread throughout Libya. The Libyan parliament designated much of the Libya Shield Force as terrorist and elements of the Libya Shield Force were ide ...
supports the Islamists. Its forces are divided geographically, into the Western Shield, Central Shield and Eastern Shield. Elements of the Libya Shield Force were identified by some observers as linked to
Al-Qaeda Al-Qaeda (; , ) is an Islamic extremism, Islamic extremist organization composed of Salafist jihadists. Its members are mostly composed of Arab, Arabs, but also include other peoples. Al-Qaeda has mounted attacks on civilian and military ta ...
as early as 2012. The term "Libya Shield 1" is used to refer to the Islamist part of the
Libya Shield Force The Libya Shield Force is an armed organisation formed in 2012 out of anti-Gaddafi armed groups spread throughout Libya. The Libyan parliament designated much of the Libya Shield Force as terrorist and elements of the Libya Shield Force were ide ...
in the east of Libya. In western Libya, the prominent Islamist forces are the Central Shield (of the
Libya Shield Force The Libya Shield Force is an armed organisation formed in 2012 out of anti-Gaddafi armed groups spread throughout Libya. The Libyan parliament designated much of the Libya Shield Force as terrorist and elements of the Libya Shield Force were ide ...
), which consists especially of
Misrata Misrata ( ; also spelled Misurata or Misratah; ar, مصراتة, Miṣrāta ) is a city in the Misrata District in northwestern Libya, situated to the east of Tripoli and west of Benghazi on the Mediterranean coast near Cape Misrata. With ...
units and the
Libya Revolutionaries Operations Room The Libya Revolutionaries Operations Room (abbreviated LROR; ar, غرفة عمليات ثوار ليبيا) is an armed group loyal to Nouri Abusahmain. It has been declared a terrorist organization by the Libyan parliament. It was heavily invol ...
. Two smaller organizations operating in western Libya are ''Ignewa Al-Kikly'' and the "Lions of Monotheism".
Al-Qaeda Al-Qaeda (; , ) is an Islamic extremism, Islamic extremist organization composed of Salafist jihadists. Its members are mostly composed of Arab, Arabs, but also include other peoples. Al-Qaeda has mounted attacks on civilian and military ta ...
leader
Abd al-Muhsin Al-Libi Muhsin Al libi (born 1966 or 1969), frequently known as Ibrahim muhsin (also spelt Ibraheem muhsen), is an alleged Libyan Al-Qaeda leader. He is also connected with the alias "Ibrahim Ali Abu Bakr" as well as many other aliases including "Abdalm ...
, also known as Ibrahim Ali Abu Bakr or Ibrahim Tantoush has been active in western Libya, capturing the special forces base called Camp 27 in April 2014 and losing it to anti-Islamist forces in August 2014. The Islamist forces around Camp 27 have been described as both Al-Qaida and as part of the
Libya Shield Force The Libya Shield Force is an armed organisation formed in 2012 out of anti-Gaddafi armed groups spread throughout Libya. The Libyan parliament designated much of the Libya Shield Force as terrorist and elements of the Libya Shield Force were ide ...
. The relationship between
Al-Qaeda Al-Qaeda (; , ) is an Islamic extremism, Islamic extremist organization composed of Salafist jihadists. Its members are mostly composed of Arab, Arabs, but also include other peoples. Al-Qaeda has mounted attacks on civilian and military ta ...
and
Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb ( ar-at, تنظيم القاعدة في بلاد المغرب الإسلامي, Tanẓīm al-Qā'idah fī Bilād al-Maghrib al-Islāmī), or AQIM, is an Islamist militant organization (of al-Qaeda) that aims to ...
is unclear, and their relationship with other Libyan Islamist groups is unclear.
Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb ( ar-at, تنظيم القاعدة في بلاد المغرب الإسلامي, Tanẓīm al-Qā'idah fī Bilād al-Maghrib al-Islāmī), or AQIM, is an Islamist militant organization (of al-Qaeda) that aims to ...
are also active in Fezzan, especially in border areas. Libya western and central Libya Shield force fought alongside Libya Dawn and were disbanded with it in 2015. While the eastern Libya Shield forces merged later with other Islamist militias and formed Revolutionary Shura Council to fight Hafter LNA.


Revolutionary Shura Councils

In
Benghazi Benghazi () , ; it, Bengasi; tr, Bingazi; ber, Bernîk, script=Latn; also: ''Bengasi'', ''Benghasi'', ''Banghāzī'', ''Binghāzī'', ''Bengazi''; grc, Βερενίκη (''Berenice'') and ''Hesperides''., group=note (''lit. Son of he Ghazi ...
, the Islamist armed groups have organized themselves into the Shura Council of Benghazi Revolutionaries. These include: *
Ansar al-Sharia Ansar al-Sharia or Ansar al-Shariah is a name used by a collection of radical or militant Islamist groups or militias, in at least eight countries. While they share names and ideology, they lack a unified command structure. *Ansar al-Sharia (Yemen) ...
*
Libya Shield 1 Libya Shield 1 was an Islamist armed group in Benghazi and eastern Libya. It is nominally part of the Libya Shield Force and is a member of the Shura Council of Benghazi Revolutionaries The Shura Council of Benghazi Revolutionaries ( ar, مجل ...
*
February 17th Martyrs Brigade The February 17th Martyrs Brigade is an Islamist militia in Libya. Composition In 2015, the brigade consisted of 12 battalions and possessed a large collection of light and heavy weapons in addition to training facilities. Its membership was es ...
*
Rafallah al-Sahati Brigade The Rafallah Sahati Brigade is named after one of the first Libyans to die while fighting Gaddafi's forces in March 2011 in Benghazi. The group began as a battalion of the 17 February Martyrs brigade, before expanding to become a group in its own ...
The Shura Council of Benghazi has been strongly linked with ISIL as they fought together against Hafter in Battle of Benghazi. However, the Shura Council never pledged allegiance to ISIL. Meanwhile, in Derna the main Islamist coalition Shura Council of Mujahideen which was formed in 2014 is an
al-Qaeda Al-Qaeda (; , ) is an Islamic extremism, Islamic extremist organization composed of Salafist jihadists. Its members are mostly composed of Arab, Arabs, but also include other peoples. Al-Qaeda has mounted attacks on civilian and military ta ...
-affiliated group. The coalition has been in fight with ISIL in 2015 and drove them out from the city.
Ajdabiya Ajdabiya ( ; ar, أجدابيا, Aǧdābiyā) is a town in and capital of the Al Wahat District in northeastern Libya. It is some south of Benghazi. From 2001 to 2007 it was part of and capital of the Ajdabiya District. The town is divided into ...
had its own Shura Council of Benghazi Revolutionaries, which is the most ISIL linked among the three Shura councils. Its leader Muhammad al-Zawi and a number of the council pledging allegiance to ISIL played a major role in strengthening the Islamist group grip on
Sirte Sirte (; ar, سِرْت, ), also spelled Sirt, Surt, Sert or Syrte, is a city in Libya. It is located south of the Gulf of Sirte, between Tripoli and Benghazi. It is famously known for its battles, ethnic groups, and loyalty to Muammar G ...
.


Benghazi Defense Brigades

Benghazi Defense Brigades The Shura Council of Benghazi Revolutionaries ( ar, مجلس شورى ثوار بنغازي, ''Majlis Shura Thuwar Benghazi'') is a military coalition in Benghazi composed of Islamist and jihadist militias, including Ansar al-Sharia, Libya Shield ...
was formed in June 2016 to defend Benghazi and the Shura Council from the
Libyan National Army The Libyan National Army (LNA; ar, الجيش الوطني الليبي, ''al-jaysh al-waṭaniyy al-Lībii'') is a component of Libya's military forces which were nominally a unified national force under the command of Field Marshal Khalifa Ha ...
, the Benghazi Defence Brigades (BDB) included various
Libya Dawn The National Salvation Government ( ar, حكومة الإنقاذ الوطني) was a government body formed by politicians from the General National Congress's blocs that lost the June 2014 elections in Libya. The NSG was led by Khalifa al- ...
militias and was organized under the banner of the former Grand mufti Saddiq Al-Ghariyani.{{cite web, date=6 June 2016 , title=Other Jihadi Actors , publisher=Eyes on ISIS in Libya , url=http://eyeonisisinlibya.com/other-jihadi-actors/other-6-june-2016/ , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160608100410/http://eyeonisisinlibya.com/other-jihadi-actors/other-6-june-2016/ , archive-date=8 June 2016 , url-status=live , df=dmy Even though it pledged to support the GNA and apparently working under
Mahdi Al-Barghathi Al-Mahdi Al-Barghathi is a Libyan National Army officer who served as the Minister of Defense in the Libyan Government of National Accord, from January 2016 until July 2018. He is an army commander from eastern Libya who had formerly served under G ...
, the Defence Minister of the GNA.{{Cite news, date=8 December 2016 , title=Haftar's warplanes strike Al-Jufra airbase, kill one, injure 14 GNA Defence Ministry forces , newspaper=Libyan Express , url=http://www.libyanexpress.com/haftars-warplanes-strike-al-jufra-airbase-kill-one-injure-14-gna-defence-ministry-forces/ , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161208202211/http://www.libyanexpress.com/haftars-warplanes-strike-al-jufra-airbase-kill-one-injure-14-gna-defence-ministry-forces/ , archive-date=8 December 2016 , url-status=live , df=dmy The GNA never recognized the BDB with some members calling for it to be demarcated as a "terrorist organization".{{cite web, date=22 June 2016 , title=Benghazi Defence Brigades is Causing More Fractions Among GNA and Eastern Militias , publisher=LibyaAnalysis , url=http://www.libya-analysis.com/benghazi-defence-brigades-is-causing-more-fractions-among-gna-and-eastern-militias/ , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160624021446/http://www.libya-analysis.com/benghazi-defence-brigades-is-causing-more-fractions-among-gna-and-eastern-militias/ , archive-date=24 June 2016 , url-status=live , df=dmy


Amazigh militias

Even though the Amazigh militias mainly situated in
Zuwara Zuwarah, or Zuwara or Zwara (Berber language: At Willul or Zwara, ) is a coastal Berber-speaking city in Libya. Zuwara or At Willul is famous for its beaches and seafood. It is situated west of Tripoli and from the Tunisian border. It is the ...
and Nafusa Mountains fought alongside Libya Dawn, they consider themselves pushed towards that because Zintan brigades and the rest of their enemies has been sided with HoR. Still though, the Amazigh main motivations for fighting against Haftar is his
Pan-Arab Pan-Arabism ( ar, الوحدة العربية or ) is an ideology that espouses the unification of the countries of North Africa and Western Asia from the Atlantic Ocean to the Arabian Sea, which is referred to as the Arab world. It is closely c ...
ic ideas which is conflicting with their demands of recognition their
language Language is a structured system of communication. The structure of a language is its grammar and the free components are its vocabulary. Languages are the primary means by which humans communicate, and may be conveyed through a variety of met ...
in the constitution as an
official language An official language is a language given supreme status in a particular country, state, or other jurisdiction. Typically the term "official language" does not refer to the language used by a people or country, but by its government (e.g. judiciary, ...
. While keeping their enmity towards Haftar, the Amazigh militias mostly became neutral later in the war especially since the formation of GNA.


Operation Dignity

The anti-Islamist Operation Dignity forces are built around Haftar's faction of the Libyan National Army, including land, sea and air forces along with supporting local militias.


LNA

The
Libyan National Army The Libyan National Army (LNA; ar, الجيش الوطني الليبي, ''al-jaysh al-waṭaniyy al-Lībii'') is a component of Libya's military forces which were nominally a unified national force under the command of Field Marshal Khalifa Ha ...
, formally known as "Libyan Arab Armed Forces", was gradually formed by General
Khalifa Haftar Field Marshal Khalifa Belqasim Haftar ( ar, خليفة بلقاسم حفتر, Ḵalīfa Bilqāsim Ḥaftar; born 7 November 1943) is a Libyan-American politician, military officer, and the commander of the Tobruk-based Libyan National Army (LNA) ...
as he fought in what he named Operation Dignity. On 19 May 2014, a number of Libyan military officers announced their support for Gen. Haftar, including officers in an air force base in
Tobruk Tobruk or Tobruck (; grc, Ἀντίπυργος, ''Antipyrgos''; la, Antipyrgus; it, Tobruch; ar, طبرق, Tubruq ''Ṭubruq''; also transliterated as ''Tobruch'' and ''Tubruk'') is a port city on Libya's eastern Mediterranean coast, near th ...
, and others who have occupied a significant portion of the country's oil infrastructure, as well as members of an important militia group in Benghazi. Haftar then managed to gather allies from Bayda, 125 miles east of Benghazi.{{cite news, access-date=21 May 2014, url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/africa/rival-militias-prepare-for-showdown-in-tripoli-after-takeover-of-parliament/2014/05/19/cb36acc2-df6f-11e3-810f-764fe508b82d_story.html, archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140801193526/http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/africa/rival-militias-prepare-for-showdown-in-tripoli-after-takeover-of-parliament/2014/05/19/cb36acc2-df6f-11e3-810f-764fe508b82d_story.html, archive-date=1 August 2014, author1=Abigail Hauslohner , author2=Sharif Abdel Kouddous , title=Khalifa Hifter, the ex-general leading a revolt in Libya, spent years in exile in Northern Virginia, date=20 May 2014, newspaper=The Washington Post, url-status=live A minority portion of the
Libya Shield Force The Libya Shield Force is an armed organisation formed in 2012 out of anti-Gaddafi armed groups spread throughout Libya. The Libyan parliament designated much of the Libya Shield Force as terrorist and elements of the Libya Shield Force were ide ...
had been reported to not have joined the Islamist forces, and it is not clear if this means they had joined the LNA forces. Since then Haftar continued to strengthen his LNA by recruiting new soldiers along with the advancements he made on the ground. In 2017 Haftar said that his forces are now larger by "hundred times" and now they are about 60 thousand soldiers.


Salafist militias

Salafists, called Madkhalis by their enemies, fought alongside Haftar LNA since the beginning against the Islamist militias, especially Shura Council of Benghazi Revolutionaries and IS whom they considered
Khawarij The Kharijites (, singular ), also called al-Shurat (), were an Islamic sect which emerged during the First Fitna (656–661). The first Kharijites were supporters of Ali who rebelled against his acceptance of arbitration talks to settle the ...
after a
fatwa A fatwā ( ; ar, فتوى; plural ''fatāwā'' ) is a legal ruling on a point of Islamic law (''sharia'') given by a qualified '' Faqih'' (Islamic jurist) in response to a question posed by a private individual, judge or government. A jurist i ...
from
Saudi Saudi may refer to: * Saudi Arabia * Saudis, people from Saudi Arabia * Saudi culture, the culture of Saudi Arabia * House of Saud The House of Saud ( ar, آل سُعُود, ʾĀl Suʿūd ) is the ruling royal family of Saudi Arabia. It is c ...
Rabee al-Madkhali.


Zintan brigades

Since the
Battle of Tripoli Airport The Battle of Tripoli Airport was a major event that took place during the Second Libyan Civil War. It began on 13 July 2014 as part of a series of operations dubbed "Libya Dawn" or " فجر ليبيا" by a coalition of Islamist militias whom le ...
, armed groups associated with
Zintan Zintan ( ar, الزنتان Latin: Tentheos, Berber language: ''Zintan'' or ''Tigharmin'' or ''Tiɣaṛmin'', meaning "small castles") is one of the biggest cities in north western Libya, situated roughly southwest of Tripoli, in the area. The ...
and the surrounding Nafusa region have become prominent. The Airport Security Battalion is recruited in large part from
Zintan Zintan ( ar, الزنتان Latin: Tentheos, Berber language: ''Zintan'' or ''Tigharmin'' or ''Tiɣaṛmin'', meaning "small castles") is one of the biggest cities in north western Libya, situated roughly southwest of Tripoli, in the area. The ...
. The "Zintan Brigades" fall under the leadership of the Zintan Revolutionaries' Military Council.


Wershefana militias

Wershefana tribal and mainly
Gaddafi loyalists Gaddafi loyalism, in a wider political and social sense also known as Green resistance, consists of sympathetic sentiment towards the overthrown government of Muammar Gaddafi, who was killed in October 2011. It has been responsible for some of ...
armed groups, from the area immediately south and west of Tripoli, have active among in Haftar forces west of Libya. On 5 August 2014, Warshefana forces captured Camp 27, a training base west of Tripoli. Wershefana armed groups have also been involved in a long-standing{{Peacock inline, 2018, 09, date=September 2018 tribal conflict with the neighbouring Zawia city since 2011. Zawia has allied with Libya Dawn since August 2014, although its commitment to Libya Dawn is reportedly wavering. After being accused of
kidnapping In criminal law, kidnapping is the unlawful confinement of a person against their will, often including transportation/asportation. The asportation and abduction element is typically but not necessarily conducted by means of force or fear: the p ...
,
ransom Ransom is the practice of holding a prisoner or item to extort money or property to secure their release, or the sum of money involved in such a practice. When ransom means "payment", the word comes via Old French ''rançon'' from Latin ''red ...
ing and other crimes, a GNA joint force made up mostly from Zintan brigades seized the Wershefana district.,


Kaniyat militia

Since the 2011 Libyan uprising against
Muammar Gaddafi Muammar Muhammad Abu Minyar al-Gaddafi, . Due to the lack of standardization of transcribing written and regionally pronounced Arabic, Gaddafi's name has been romanized in various ways. A 1986 column by ''The Straight Dope'' lists 32 spellin ...
, the Kaniyat militiamen dominated and brutalized the civilians in
Tarhuna Tarhuna (; ar, ترهونة), also Tarhoona or Tarhunah, is a Libyan town to the southeast of Tripoli, in the Murqub District. The city derives its name from that of its pre- Roman-era inhabitants, a Berber tribe. The city was known as al-Bo ...
to deepen their control over the strategic city. Formed by the Kani brothers, the militia committed atrocities that became known in 2017. The militia allied with the
Government of National Accord The Government of National Accord ( ar, حكومة الوفاق الوطني) was an interim government for Libya that was formed under the terms of the Libyan Political Agreement, a United Nations–led initiative, signed on 17 December 2015. Th ...
(GNA) in 2016, which considered the Kaniyat important for their control over the 7th Brigade, gateway to Tripoli from south Libya. Human rights activists and the residents said the GNA and the UN provided political support to the militia and “chose not to see” the abuses and killings.{{cite news, url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/interactive/2021/libya-tarhuna-kaniyat-mass-graves/, title=Mass murder and the sin of silence, accessdate=8 May 2021, newspaper=The Washington Post In 2019, the Kaniyat militia aligned with the UAE-backed Khalifa Haftar and put their fighters under the general's 9th Brigade. Following that, the killings and disappearances in Tarhuna amplified. Over a decade until 2021, over 1,000 civilians were killed by the Kaniyat militia, where nearly 650 were killed in 14 months under Haftar. In 2020, the GNA forces successfully ousted the militia and the UAE-backed Haftar's forces and captured Tarhuna. Survivors reported of being tortured, electrocuted and beaten by the militia. Around 120 bodies were recovered from the mass graves, of which only 59 were identified.


Ethnic tensions

In 2014, a former Gaddafi officer reported to the ''
New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...
'' that the civil war was now an "ethnic struggle" between Arab tribes (like the Zintanis) against those of Turkish ancestry (like the Misuratis), as well as against
Berbers , image = File:Berber_flag.svg , caption = The Berber ethnic flag , population = 36 million , region1 = Morocco , pop1 = 14 million to 18 million , region2 = Algeria , pop2 ...
and
Circassians The Circassians (also referred to as Cherkess or Adyghe; Adyghe and Kabardian: Адыгэхэр, romanized: ''Adıgəxər'') are an indigenous Northwest Caucasian ethnic group and nation native to the historical country-region of Circassia in ...
.{{cite web, last=Kirkpatrick, first=David D., year=2014, title=Strife in Libya Could Presage Long Civil War, url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/25/world/africa/libyan-unrest.html, access-date=18 September 2019, work=
New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...


Effects

As of February 2015, damage and disorder from the war has been considerable. There are frequent electric outages, little business activity, and a loss in revenues from oil by 90%. Over 5,700 people died from the fighting by the end of 2016,{{cite web, publisher=Libya Body Count , url=http://www.libyabodycount.org/, title=Libya Body Count, date=December 2016, access-date=29 April 2021 and some sources claim nearly a third of the country's population has fled to
Tunisia ) , image_map = Tunisia location (orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = Location of Tunisia in northern Africa , image_map2 = , capital = Tunis , largest_city = capital , ...
as
refugees A refugee, conventionally speaking, is a displaced person who has crossed national borders and who cannot or is unwilling to return home due to well-founded fear of persecution.
.{{cite magazine, last1=Anderson, first1=Jon Lee, title=Letter from Libya. The Unravelling, magazine=The New Yorker, date=23 February 2015, url=https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/02/23/unravelling, access-date=18 February 2015, quote=There is no overstating the chaos of post-Qaddafi Libya. Two competing governments claim legitimacy. Armed militias roam the streets. The electricity is frequently out of service, and most business is at a standstill; revenues from oil, the country's greatest asset, have dwindled by more than ninety per cent. Some three thousand people have been killed by fighting in the past year, and nearly a third of the country's population has fled across the border to Tunisia. Since Field Marshal
Khalifa Haftar Field Marshal Khalifa Belqasim Haftar ( ar, خليفة بلقاسم حفتر, Ḵalīfa Bilqāsim Ḥaftar; born 7 November 1943) is a Libyan-American politician, military officer, and the commander of the Tobruk-based Libyan National Army (LNA) ...
had captured the ports of Libya's state-run oil company, the National Oil Corporation, in Es Sider and Ra's Lanuf, oil production has risen from 220,000 barrels a day to about 600,000 barrels per day. The war has prompted a considerable number of the country's sizeable foreign labour force to leave the country as extremist groups such as ISIL have targeted them; prior to the 2011, the Egyptian Ministry of Labour estimated that there were two million Egyptians working in the country yet since the escalation of attacks on Egyptian labourers the Egyptian Foreign Ministry estimates more than 800,000 Egyptians have left the country to return to Egypt. Land mines remain a persistent threat in the country as numerous militias, especially ISIL, have made heavy use of land mines and other hidden explosives; the rapidly changing front lines has meant many of these devices remain in areas out of active combat zones; civilians remain the primary casualties inflicted by land mines with mines alone killing 145 people and wounding another 1,465 according to the
International Committee of the Red Cross The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC; french: Comité international de la Croix-Rouge) is a humanitarian organization which is based in Geneva, Switzerland, and it is also a three-time Nobel Prize Laureate. State parties (signato ...
(ICRC). In a report, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) revealed that it had registered over 45,600 refugees and asylum seekers in Libya during 2019. The World Food Programme reported that an estimated 435,000 people had been forcibly displaced from their homes during the conflict. On 22 October 2019, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) reported that children have been suffering from different sorts of malnutrition in the war-torn nations, including Libya. Executive Director of UNICEF said on 18 January 2020, that thousands of Libyan children were at risk of being killed due to the ongoing conflict in Libya. Since hostile clashes between the Libyan government and Haftar's LNA forces (backed by the UAE and Egypt) have broken out in Tripoli and western Libya, conditions of children and civilians have worsened. The blockade on Libya's major oil fields and production units by Haftar's forces has sown losses of over $255 million within the six-day period ending 23 January, according to the National Oil Corporation in Libya. The NOC and ENI, which runs Mellitah Oil & Gas in Libya, have suffered a production loss of 155,000 oil barrels per day due to the blockade on production facilities imposed by Haftar's LNA. The entities claim losing revenue of around $9.4mn per day. Since the beginning of Libyan conflict, thousands of refugees forced to live in detention centres are suffering from mental health problems, especially women and children, who are struggling to confront the deaths of their family members in the war. On 7 February 2020, the UNHCR reported that the overall number of migrants intercepted by the Libyan coast guard in January surged 121% against the same period in 2019. The ongoing war has turned the country into a huge haven for migrants fleeing violence and poverty in Africa and the Middle East. On 6 April, an armed group invaded a control station in Shwerif, the
Great Man-Made River The Great Man-Made River (GMMR, ) is a network of pipes that supplies fresh water obtained from the Nubian Sandstone Aquifer System fossil aquifer across Libya. It is the world's largest irrigation project. The project utilizes a pipeline system ...
project, stopped water from being pumped to
Tripoli Tripoli or Tripolis may refer to: Cities and other geographic units Greece *Tripoli, Greece, the capital of Arcadia, Greece * Tripolis (region of Arcadia), a district in ancient Arcadia, Greece * Tripolis (Larisaia), an ancient Greek city in ...
, and threatened the workers. The armed group's move was a way to pressure and force the release of the detained family members. On 10 April 2020, the
United Nations The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and international security, security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be ...
humanitarian coordinator for Libya, Yacoub El Hillo condemned the water supply cutoff as "particularly reprehensible". On 21 April 2020, the UN took in to consideration the "dramatic increase" of shelling on densely populated areas of
Tripoli Tripoli or Tripolis may refer to: Cities and other geographic units Greece *Tripoli, Greece, the capital of Arcadia, Greece * Tripolis (region of Arcadia), a district in ancient Arcadia, Greece * Tripolis (Larisaia), an ancient Greek city in ...
, and claimed that continuation of war is worsening the humanitarian situation of
Libya Libya (; ar, ليبيا, Lībiyā), officially the State of Libya ( ar, دولة ليبيا, Dawlat Lībiyā), is a country in the Maghreb region in North Africa. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to Egypt–Libya bo ...
. The organisation also warned that such activities could possibly lead to war crimes. The
United Nations Support Mission in Libya The United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) is a United Nations (UN) advanced mission in Libya, created in the aftermath of the Libyan Civil War. UNSMIL is a political mission, not a military mission. The main elements of its mandate def ...
(UNSMIL) in its first quarter report for 2020 on the civilian casualty in Libya cited that approximately 131 casualties have taken place between 1 January and 31 March 2020. The figures included 64 deaths and 67 injuries, all of which were a result of the ground fighting, bombing and targeted killing led by
Khalifa Haftar Field Marshal Khalifa Belqasim Haftar ( ar, خليفة بلقاسم حفتر, Ḵalīfa Bilqāsim Ḥaftar; born 7 November 1943) is a Libyan-American politician, military officer, and the commander of the Tobruk-based Libyan National Army (LNA) ...
’s army, the LNA, backed by the
United Arab Emirates The United Arab Emirates (UAE; ar, اَلْإِمَارَات الْعَرَبِيَة الْمُتَحِدَة ), or simply the Emirates ( ar, الِْإمَارَات ), is a country in Western Asia (The Middle East). It is located at th ...
. On 5 May 2020, The
International Criminal Court The International Criminal Court (ICC or ICCt) is an intergovernmental organization and international tribunal seated in The Hague, Netherlands. It is the first and only permanent international court with jurisdiction to prosecute individuals ...
’s chief prosecutor
Fatou Bensouda Fatou Bom Bensouda (; ; born 31 January 1961) is a Gambian lawyer and former Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC). She served as Prosecutor from June 2012 to June 2021, after having ...
, raised concerns over the continuous spree of attacks by Haftar on
Tripoli Tripoli or Tripolis may refer to: Cities and other geographic units Greece *Tripoli, Greece, the capital of Arcadia, Greece * Tripolis (region of Arcadia), a district in ancient Arcadia, Greece * Tripolis (Larisaia), an ancient Greek city in ...
. The prosecutor said that actions endanger lives and warned of possible war crimes due to current affairs. "Of particular concern to my Office are the high numbers of civilian casualties, largely reported to be resulting from airstrikes and shelling operations," she expressed in a statement. On 10 November 2020, prominent Libyan activist,
Hanane al-Barassi Hanane Al-Barassi (1963 – 10 November 2020) was a Libyan activist for human rights and women's rights. Biography Al-Barassi was born in Libya in 1963. She was born into an influential tribe in the east of the country. She was very active on soc ...
, was killed in
Benghazi Benghazi () , ; it, Bengasi; tr, Bingazi; ber, Bernîk, script=Latn; also: ''Bengasi'', ''Benghasi'', ''Banghāzī'', ''Binghāzī'', ''Bengazi''; grc, Βερενίκη (''Berenice'') and ''Hesperides''., group=note (''lit. Son of he Ghazi ...
. The 46-year-old Barassi was an outspoken critic of humanitarian abuses committed in the eastern areas controlled by
UAE The United Arab Emirates (UAE; ar, اَلْإِمَارَات الْعَرَبِيَة الْمُتَحِدَة ), or simply the Emirates ( ar, الِْإمَارَات ), is a country in Western Asia (The Middle East). It is located at th ...
-backed
Khalifa Haftar Field Marshal Khalifa Belqasim Haftar ( ar, خليفة بلقاسم حفتر, Ḵalīfa Bilqāsim Ḥaftar; born 7 November 1943) is a Libyan-American politician, military officer, and the commander of the Tobruk-based Libyan National Army (LNA) ...
’s
Libyan National Army The Libyan National Army (LNA; ar, الجيش الوطني الليبي, ''al-jaysh al-waṭaniyy al-Lībii'') is a component of Libya's military forces which were nominally a unified national force under the command of Field Marshal Khalifa Ha ...
(LNA). She was known for giving voice to female victims of violence through the videos she posted on
social media Social media are interactive media technologies that facilitate the creation and sharing of information, ideas, interests, and other forms of expression through virtual communities and networks. While challenges to the definition of ''social medi ...
.


Timeline

{{Main Article, Timeline of the Second Libyan Civil War


Peace process

{{Main, Libyan peace process, Libyan Political Dialogue Forum During the first half of 2015, the United Nations facilitated a series of negotiations seeking to bring together the rival governments and warring militias of Libya.{{cite web, url=http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2015/06/09/Libyan-rivals-mull-peace-proposal-for-unity.html, title=Libya's parliament rejects U.N. peace proposal, date=9 June 2015, publisher=Al Arabiya, access-date=21 October 2017 A meeting between the rival governments was held at Auberge de Castille in
Valletta Valletta (, mt, il-Belt Valletta, ) is an Local councils of Malta, administrative unit and capital city, capital of Malta. Located on the Malta (island), main island, between Marsamxett Harbour to the west and the Grand Harbour to the east, i ...
,
Malta Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...
on 16 December 2015. On 17 December, delegates from the two governments signed a peace deal backed by the UN in
Skhirat Skhirat ( ar, الصخيرات; Berber: ⴰⵙⵖⵉⵔⵔⴰⵜ) is a seaside town in Morocco situated between the administrative capital Rabat and the economic centre of Casablanca, known within Morocco for its idyllic beaches on the edge of th ...
,
Morocco Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to ...
, although there was opposition to this within both factions. The
Government of National Accord The Government of National Accord ( ar, حكومة الوفاق الوطني) was an interim government for Libya that was formed under the terms of the Libyan Political Agreement, a United Nations–led initiative, signed on 17 December 2015. Th ...
was formed as a result of this agreement, and its first meeting took place in
Tunis ''Tounsi'' french: Tunisois , population_note = , population_urban = , population_metro = 2658816 , population_density_km2 = , timezone1 = CET , utc_offset1 ...
on 2 January 2016. On 17 December 2017, general
Khalifa Haftar Field Marshal Khalifa Belqasim Haftar ( ar, خليفة بلقاسم حفتر, Ḵalīfa Bilqāsim Ḥaftar; born 7 November 1943) is a Libyan-American politician, military officer, and the commander of the Tobruk-based Libyan National Army (LNA) ...
declared the Skhirat agreement void.{{cite web, title=Q&A: What's happening in Libya?, url=http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/12/qa-happening-libya-171220114305008.html, publisher=Al Jazeera, date=20 December 2017 A meeting called the
Libyan National Conference The Libyan National Conference was a planned meeting in Ghadames for organising elections and other components of a peace process in Libya. The conference was prepared over 18 months during 2018 and 2019 and planned to take place 14–16 April 201 ...
was planned in Ghadames for organising
elections An election is a formal group decision-making process by which a population chooses an individual or multiple individuals to hold public office. Elections have been the usual mechanism by which modern representative democracy has operate ...
and a peace process in
Libya Libya (; ar, ليبيا, Lībiyā), officially the State of Libya ( ar, دولة ليبيا, Dawlat Lībiyā), is a country in the Maghreb region in North Africa. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to Egypt–Libya bo ...
. The conference was prepared over 18 months during 2018 and 2019 and was planned to take place 14–16 April 2019. It was postponed in early April 2019 as a result of the military actions of the
2019 Western Libya offensive The Western Libya campaign was a military campaign initiated on 4 April 2019 by the Operation Flood of Dignity ( ar, عملية طوفان الكرامة) of the Libyan National Army, which represents the Libyan House of Representatives, to cap ...
. In July 2019,
Ghassan Salamé Ghassan Salamé ( ar, غسان سلامة; born 1951) is a Paris-based Lebanese academic. He served as the Lebanese Minister of Culture from 2000 to 2003. He was the Dean of the Paris School of International Affairs (PSIA) and professor of Inte ...
, the head of the
United Nations Support Mission in Libya The United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) is a United Nations (UN) advanced mission in Libya, created in the aftermath of the Libyan Civil War. UNSMIL is a political mission, not a military mission. The main elements of its mandate def ...
(UNSMIL), proposed a three-point peace plan (a truce during Eid al-Adha, an international meeting of countries implicated in the conflict, and an internal Libyan conference similar to the Libyan National Conference). In September 2019, the
Peace and Security Council The Peace and Security Council (PSC) is the organ of the African Union in charge of enforcing union decisions. It is patterned somewhat after the United Nations Security Council. The PSC is also the main pillar of the African Peace and Security ...
(PSC) of the African Union (AU) discussed the need for the PSC to play a greater role in concluding the Libyan crisis, putting forward a proposal to appoint a joint AU-UN envoy to Libya. Turkish President RT Erdogan and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin made a joint call for ceasefire, starting 12 January 2020, to end the proxy war in Libya. The
ceasefire A ceasefire (also known as a truce or armistice), also spelled cease fire (the antonym of 'open fire'), is a temporary stoppage of a war in which each side agrees with the other to suspend aggressive actions. Ceasefires may be between state act ...
is said to have been broken hours after its initiation. Both the warring parties – GNA supported by
Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a list of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolia, Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with ...
and LNA backed by
Saudi Saudi may refer to: * Saudi Arabia * Saudis, people from Saudi Arabia * Saudi culture, the culture of Saudi Arabia * House of Saud The House of Saud ( ar, آل سُعُود, ʾĀl Suʿūd ) is the ruling royal family of Saudi Arabia. It is c ...
,
UAE The United Arab Emirates (UAE; ar, اَلْإِمَارَات الْعَرَبِيَة الْمُتَحِدَة ), or simply the Emirates ( ar, الِْإمَارَات ), is a country in Western Asia (The Middle East). It is located at th ...
,
Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediter ...
and
Jordan Jordan ( ar, الأردن; tr. ' ), officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan,; tr. ' is a country in Western Asia. It is situated at the crossroads of Asia, Africa, and Europe, within the Levant region, on the East Bank of the Jordan Rive ...
– blamed each other for the violence that broke out in
Tripoli Tripoli or Tripolis may refer to: Cities and other geographic units Greece *Tripoli, Greece, the capital of Arcadia, Greece * Tripolis (region of Arcadia), a district in ancient Arcadia, Greece * Tripolis (Larisaia), an ancient Greek city in ...
. Turkey's Foreign Minister, Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu said Khalifa Haftar, who is backed by foreign powers including the UAE, does not want peace and is seeking a military solution to the drawn-out war in the country. Haftar's forces launched attacks on Abu Gurain province, near the port city of Misurata, Libya's UN-recognized government claimed. The attacks were seen as a violation of cease-fire accord signed at the Berlin Conference. On 12 February, the
United Nations Security Council The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is one of the Organs of the United Nations, six principal organs of the United Nations (UN) and is charged with ensuring international security, international peace and security, recommending the admi ...
adopted a resolution demanding a "lasting cease-fire" in Libya. Drafted by Britain, it received 14 votes, while
Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...
abstained. Around 19 February, the government withdrew from peace talks following rocket attacks on Tripoli. At the urging of the UN, both sides agreed to a new ceasefire in late March due to the novel coronavirus; however, the ceasefire quickly fell apart. On 24 March shells hit a prison in an area held by the GNA, drawing UN condemnation. The GNA launched a series of "counter-attacks" early on 25 March, in response to what the GNA called "the heaviest bombardments Tripoli has seen".{{cite news , title=Libya battles escalate as coronavirus arrives in country , url=https://in.reuters.com/article/libya-security/libya-battles-escalate-as-coronavirus-arrives-in-country-idINKBN21C1HC?il=0 , access-date=27 March 2020 , work=Reuters , date=26 March 2020 , language=en In June 2020, Egyptian president
Abdel Fattah el-Sisi Abdel Fattah Saeed Hussein Khalil el-Sisi; (born 19 November 1954) is an Egyptian politician and retired military officer who has served as the sixth and current president of Egypt since 2014. Before retiring as a general in the Egyptian mil ...
brokered an agreement with parties aligned to the Libyan National Army, calling it the Cairo Declaration – However, this was quickly rejected. On 21 August 2020, Libya's rival authorities announced an immediate ceasefire. The Tripoli-based and internationally recognised Government of National Accord (GNA) published a statement that also calls for elections in March 2021. The
United Nations Security Council The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is one of the Organs of the United Nations, six principal organs of the United Nations (UN) and is charged with ensuring international security, international peace and security, recommending the admi ...
received a confidential report in September 2020, which provided details of the extensive violations of the international arms embargo on
Libya Libya (; ar, ليبيا, Lībiyā), officially the State of Libya ( ar, دولة ليبيا, Dawlat Lībiyā), is a country in the Maghreb region in North Africa. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to Egypt–Libya bo ...
, since the beginning of 2020. The UN identified eight countries breaching embargo. Besides, the
United Arab Emirates The United Arab Emirates (UAE; ar, اَلْإِمَارَات الْعَرَبِيَة الْمُتَحِدَة ), or simply the Emirates ( ar, الِْإمَارَات ), is a country in Western Asia (The Middle East). It is located at th ...
and
Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...
were found to have sent five cargo aircraft filled with weapons to Libya on 19 January 2020, when the world leaders were signing a pledge to respect the arms embargo on Libya, at the Berlin conference. Four out of the five cargo airplanes belonged to the UAE. On 16 September 2020, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu told CNN Turk that Turkey and Russia have moved closer to an agreement on a ceasefire and political process in Libya during their latest meetings in Ankara. According to
Reuters Reuters ( ) is a news agency owned by Thomson Reuters Corporation. It employs around 2,500 journalists and 600 photojournalists in about 200 locations worldwide. Reuters is one of the largest news agencies in the world. The agency was estab ...
, Turkey and Russia were the main power brokers in the Libyan war, backing opposing sides. Russia supported the eastern-based forces of Khalifa Haftar, while Turkey backed Libya's internationally recognised Government of National Accord. In September 2020, the
European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of and an estimated total population of about 447million. The EU has often been des ...
issued sanctions against two people, who were indirectly or directly engaged in serious
human rights abuses Human rights are moral principles or normsJames Nickel, with assistance from Thomas Pogge, M.B.E. Smith, and Leif Wenar, 13 December 2013, Stanford Encyclopedia of PhilosophyHuman Rights Retrieved 14 August 2014 for certain standards of hum ...
. While
Benghazi Benghazi () , ; it, Bengasi; tr, Bingazi; ber, Bernîk, script=Latn; also: ''Bengasi'', ''Benghasi'', ''Banghāzī'', ''Binghāzī'', ''Bengazi''; grc, Βερενίκη (''Berenice'') and ''Hesperides''., group=note (''lit. Son of he Ghazi ...
-based
Mahmoud al-Werfalli Mahmoud Mustafa Busayf al-Werfalli ( ar, محمود مصطفى بوسيف الورفلي; 1978 – 24 March 2021) was a Libyan general, commander in al-Saiqa, an elite unit of the Libyan National Army, one of the warring factions in Libya's civil ...
was engaged in violations like killings and executions, Moussa Diab was involved in
human trafficking Human trafficking is the trade of humans for the purpose of forced labour, sexual slavery, or commercial sexual exploitation for the trafficker or others. This may encompass providing a spouse in the context of forced marriage, or the extrac ...
and the
kidnapping In criminal law, kidnapping is the unlawful confinement of a person against their will, often including transportation/asportation. The asportation and abduction element is typically but not necessarily conducted by means of force or fear: the p ...
,
raping Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse or other forms of sexual penetration carried out against a person without their consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority, or a ...
and killing of migrants and
refugees A refugee, conventionally speaking, is a displaced person who has crossed national borders and who cannot or is unwilling to return home due to well-founded fear of persecution.
. Three companies,
Turkish Turkish may refer to: *a Turkic language spoken by the Turks * of or about Turkey ** Turkish language *** Turkish alphabet ** Turkish people, a Turkic ethnic group and nation *** Turkish citizen, a citizen of Turkey *** Turkish communities and mi ...
maritime firm Avrasya Shipping,
Jordan Jordan ( ar, الأردن; tr. ' ), officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan,; tr. ' is a country in Western Asia. It is situated at the crossroads of Asia, Africa, and Europe, within the Levant region, on the East Bank of the Jordan Rive ...
-based Med Wave Shipping and a
Kazakhstan Kazakhstan, officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental country located mainly in Central Asia and partly in Eastern Europe. It borders Russia to the north and west, China to the east, Kyrgyzstan to the southeast, Uzbeki ...
-based air freight company, Sigma Airlines, were also sanctioned for breaching the UN arms embargo by transferring military material to
Libya Libya (; ar, ليبيا, Lībiyā), officially the State of Libya ( ar, دولة ليبيا, Dawlat Lībiyā), is a country in the Maghreb region in North Africa. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to Egypt–Libya bo ...
. Among these, Sigma Airlines was also found involved in the air-borne hard cash shipments for the
Khalifa Haftar Field Marshal Khalifa Belqasim Haftar ( ar, خليفة بلقاسم حفتر, Ḵalīfa Bilqāsim Ḥaftar; born 7 November 1943) is a Libyan-American politician, military officer, and the commander of the Tobruk-based Libyan National Army (LNA) ...
’s government from the
United Arab Emirates The United Arab Emirates (UAE; ar, اَلْإِمَارَات الْعَرَبِيَة الْمُتَحِدَة ), or simply the Emirates ( ar, الِْإمَارَات ), is a country in Western Asia (The Middle East). It is located at th ...
,
Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...
and the
United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
, among others. Sigma Airlines was also involved in a bank-note delivery made on 29 January 2019 for the LNA, using a commercial network operating through the UAE,
Ukraine Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inv ...
, Jordan and
Belarus Belarus,, , ; alternatively and formerly known as Byelorussia (from Russian ). officially the Republic of Belarus,; rus, Республика Беларусь, Respublika Belarus. is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by R ...
. In approximately $227 million bank note transfers, $91 million came from the UK, $27 million from Russia and $5 million from the UAE, which recorded highest number of transfers among 14 countries that were involved. On 23 October 2020, the ''5+5 Joint Libyan Military Commission'' representing the LNA and the GNA reached a " permanent ceasefire agreement in all areas of Libya". The agreement, effective immediately, required that all foreign fighters leave Libya within three months while a joint police force would patrol disputed areas. The first commercial flight between Tripoli and Benghazi took place that same day. The war concluded on 24 October 2020.{{Cite web, url=https://www.thedailystar.net/backpage/news/libyan-civil-war-two-warring-factions-sign-permanent-ceasefire-1983297, title=Libyan Civil War: Two warring factions sign 'permanent' ceasefire, date=24 October 2020, website=The Daily Star UN-sponsored peace talks failed to establish an interim government by 16 November 2020, although both sides pledged to try again in a week. Talks by the Advisory Committee of the
Libya Political Dialogue Forum The Libyan Political Dialogue Forum (LPDF) is an intra-Libyan political body involved in series of meetings started in late 2020, initially aiming to lead to 2021 Libyan general election, Libyan elections, Libyan peace process and "democractic le ...
(LPDF) in Geneva during 13–16 January 2021 produced a proposal for a procedure for selecting a unified executive authority. On 18 January, 72 of the LPDF members participated in a vote on the proposal. The proposal passed, attaining more than the 63% decision threshold, with 51 voters in favour, 19 against, 2 abstentions and 2 absences. The validated electoral procedure involves electoral colleges, support from the West, East and South of Libya, a 60% initial threshold, and a 50% plus one second-round threshold, for positions in the Presidency Council and for the prime ministership. On 19 February 2021, a confidential report by the
United Nations The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and international security, security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be ...
revealed that the former CEO of Blackwater,
Erik Prince Erik Dean Prince (born June 6, 1969) is an American businessman, former U.S. Navy SEAL officer, and the founder of the private military company Blackwater. He served as Blackwater's CEO until 2009 and as its chairman until its sale to a group ...
breached the Libyan arms embargo by supporting and supplying weapons to Khalifa Haftar under an operation that cost $80 million. In 2019, Prince deployed foreign mercenaries to eastern Libya, who were armed with gunboats, attack aircraft, and cyberwarfare capabilities. While the report didn't conclude who funded the mercenary operation, analysts and Western officials asserted that it was most likely the UAE. The report noted that the mercenaries had offices, shell companies, and bank accounts in the Gulf nation. The FBI also opened an investigation into the failed mercenary plot of 2019. The agency was also looking into determining the role of Erik Prince in the attempted sale of aircraft and other materiel from Jordan to the UAE-backed Khalifa Haftar. Previous reports have highlighted that a Jordanian royal Feisal Ibn al-Hussein worked with Prince to organize the weapons transfer to Libya. However, the Jordanian government had aborted the sale.{{cite web, url=https://theintercept.com/2021/10/30/fbi-libya-erik-prince-weapons-trafficking/, title=FBI Investigation of Failed Mercenary Plot Delves Into Role of Erik Prince, access-date=30 October 2021, website=The Intercept Following which, Prince organized a meeting between his business associate Christiaan Durrant and a member of
Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021. Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of Pe ...
’s
National Security Council A national security council (NSC) is usually an executive branch governmental body responsible for coordinating policy on national security issues and advising chief executives on matters related to national security. An NSC is often headed by a na ...
. During the meeting, Durrant explained Prince's Libyan campaign plan backing Haftar to the NSC official and asked for the US’ support. A UN report also revealed that three aircraft controlled or owned by Prince were transferred to a mercenary firm connected to him and located in the United Arab Emirates. However, Prince was not charged with a crime.


Reactions


Domestic reactions

Khalifa Haftar Field Marshal Khalifa Belqasim Haftar ( ar, خليفة بلقاسم حفتر, Ḵalīfa Bilqāsim Ḥaftar; born 7 November 1943) is a Libyan-American politician, military officer, and the commander of the Tobruk-based Libyan National Army (LNA) ...
and his supporters describe Operation Dignity as a "correction to the path of
the revolution A revolution is a drastic political change that usually occurs relatively quickly. For revolutions which affect society, culture, and technology more than political systems, see social revolution. Revolution may also refer to: Aviation *Warner ...
" and a " war on terrorism". The elected parliament has declared that Haftar's enemies are "terrorists".{{cite news, url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-28916417, title=Libya crisis: Tensions rise as Tripoli airport seized, work=BBC News, access-date=14 October 2014, date=24 August 2014 Opponents of Haftar and the House of Representatives' government in
Tripoli Tripoli or Tripolis may refer to: Cities and other geographic units Greece *Tripoli, Greece, the capital of Arcadia, Greece * Tripolis (region of Arcadia), a district in ancient Arcadia, Greece * Tripolis (Larisaia), an ancient Greek city in ...
claim he is attempting a coup. Omar al-Hasi, the internationally unrecognized Prime Minister of the Libya Dawn-backed Tripoli government, speaking of his allies' actions, has stated that: "This is a correction of the revolution." He has also contended: "Our revolution had fallen into a trap." Dawn commanders claim to be fighting for a "revolutionary" cause rather than for religious or partisan objectives. Islamist militia group
Ansar al-Sharia Ansar al-Sharia or Ansar al-Shariah is a name used by a collection of radical or militant Islamist groups or militias, in at least eight countries. While they share names and ideology, they lack a unified command structure. *Ansar al-Sharia (Yemen) ...
(linked to the
2012 Benghazi attack The 2012 Benghazi attack was a coordinated attack against two Federal government of the United States, United States government facilities in Benghazi, Benghazi, Libya, by members of the Islamic militant group Ansar al-Sharia (Libya), Ansar al ...
) has denounced Haftar's campaign as a Western-backed " war on Islam" and has declared the establishment of the "Islamic Emirate of Benghazi". The National Oil Corporation (NOC) denounced calls to blockade oil fields prior to the Berlin Conference on 19 January 2020, calling it a criminal act. The entity warned to prosecute offenders to the highest degree under Libyan and international law. Dignitaries from Tripoli, Sahel and Mountain regions in Libya expressed discomposure at the UN envoy's briefing to Libya, Ghassan Salame at the Security Council, for equalizing the aggressors (Haftar's forces backed by UAE and Egypt) and the defender (GNA forces). They said Salame's statements made both the parties equal amid Haftar's offensive in Tripoli and the war crimes committed against civilians, including children.


Foreign reactions, involvement, and evacuations


Neighboring countries

* {{flag, Algeria – Early in May 2014, the
Algerian military french: Armée nationale populaire , image = ANP.png , alt = , caption = People's National Army emblem , image2 = , alt2 = , caption2 = , motto = ...
said it was engaged in an operation aimed at tracking down militants who infiltrated the country's territory in Tamanrasset near the Libyan
border Borders are usually defined as geographical boundaries, imposed either by features such as oceans and terrain, or by political entities such as governments, sovereign states, federated states, and other subnational entities. Political borders c ...
, during which it announced that it managed to kill 10 "terrorists" and seized a large cache of weapons near the town of Janet consisting of automatic rifles, rocket-propelled grenades and ammunition boxes. ''
The Times ''The Times'' is a British daily national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its current name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its sister paper ''The Sunday Times'' (fou ...
'' reported on 30 May that Algerian forces were strongly present in Libya and it was claimed shortly after by an Algerian journalist from ''
El Watan ''El Watan'' (Arabic:الوطن, meaning ''the Homeland'') is an independent French-language newspaper in Algeria. History and profile The paper was founded in 1990 after Omar Belhouchet and nineteen colleagues left the FLN government-owned ne ...
'' that a full regiment of 3,500 paratroopers logistically supported by 1,500 other men crossed into Libya and occupied a zone in the west of the country. They were later shown to be operating alongside French special forces in the region. However, all of these claims were later denied by the Algerian government through
Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...
Abdelmalek Sellal Abdelmalek Sellal ( ar, عبد المالك سلال, ʿAbd al-Mālik Silāl; born 1 August 1948) is an Algerian politician who was Prime Minister of Algeria from 3 September 2012 to 13 March 2014 when he took a leave of office to support Presiden ...
who told the senate that "Algeria has always shown its willingness to assist ursister countries, but things are clear: the Algerian army will not undertake any operation outside Algerian territory". On 16 May 2014, the Algerian government responded to a threat on its embassy in Libya by sending a team of special forces to Tripoli to escort its diplomatic staff in a military plane out of the country. "Due to a real and imminent threat targeting our diplomats the decision was taken in coordination with Libyan authorities to urgently close our embassy and consulate general temporarily in Tripoli," the Algerian Foreign Ministry said in a statement. Three days later, the Algerian government shut down all of its border crossings with Libya and the army command raised its security alert status by tightening its presence along the border, especially on the Tinalkoum and Debdab border crossings. This also came as the state-owned energy firm,
Sonatrach Sonatrach ( ar, سوناطراك; french: Société Nationale pour la Recherche, la Production, le Transport, la Transformation, et la Commercialisation des Hydrocarbures) is the national state-owned oil company of Algeria. Founded in 1963, it is ...
, evacuated all of its workers from Libya and halted production in the country. In mid-August, Algeria opened its border for Egyptian refugees stranded in Libya and said it would grant them exceptional visas to facilitate their return to Egypt.{{cite web, url=http://www.dailynewsegypt.com/2014/08/16/egyptian-shot-dead-tunisian-libyan-border-algeria-open-border-egyptians/, title=Egyptian shot dead at Tunisian-Libyan border, Algeria to open border for Egyptians, work=Daily News Egypt, date=16 August 2014, access-date=20 August 2014, author=Cousin, Edward In January 2021, Algerian Foreign Intelligence Chief was sacked because Algeria wasn't included in any of the international meetings regarding the future of Libya, unlike other neighboring countries. * {{flag, Chad – In June 2020, Chadian President
Idriss Déby Idriss Déby Itno ' (18 June 1952 – 20 April 2021) was a Chadian politician and military officer who was the president of Chad from 1990 until his death in 2021. Déby was a member of the Bidayat clan of the Zaghawa ethnic group. A high-ranki ...
announced his support to Khalifa Haftar's force in Libya, and had sent 1,500 to 2,000 troops to help Haftar, in wake of call from the United Arab Emirates to support Haftar's force against the strengthening Tripoli government and to end incursions by anti-Déby rebels. Chadian oppositions have accused Khalifa Haftar of his attempt to assassinate Chadian opposition leaders. * {{flag, Egypt – Egyptian authorities have long expressed concern over the instability in eastern Libya spilling over into Egypt due to the rise of jihadist movements in the region, which the government believes to have developed into a safe transit for wanted Islamists following the 2013 coup d'état in Egypt that ousted
Muslim Brotherhood The Society of the Muslim Brothers ( ar, جماعة الإخوان المسلمين'' ''), better known as the Muslim Brotherhood ( ', is a transnational Sunni Islamist organization founded in Egypt by Islamic scholar and schoolteacher Hassan ...
-backed president
Mohamed Morsi Mohamed Mohamed Morsi Eissa al-AyyatThe spellings of his first and last names vary. survey of 14 news organizations plus Wikipedia in July 2012February 17th Martyrs Brigade The February 17th Martyrs Brigade is an Islamist militia in Libya. Composition In 2015, the brigade consisted of 12 battalions and possessed a large collection of light and heavy weapons in addition to training facilities. Its membership was es ...
operating in Libya has accused the Egyptian government of supplying Haftar with weapons and ammunition, a claim denied by both Cairo and the rebel leader. Furthermore, Egyptian President
Abdel Fattah el-Sisi Abdel Fattah Saeed Hussein Khalil el-Sisi; (born 19 November 1954) is an Egyptian politician and retired military officer who has served as the sixth and current president of Egypt since 2014. Before retiring as a general in the Egyptian mil ...
, who has become increasingly popular among many Libyans wishing for stability, has called on the United States to intervene militarily in Libya during his presidential candidacy, warning that Libya was becoming a major security challenge and vowed not to allow the turmoil there to threaten Egypt's national security. On 21 July 2014, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry urged its nationals residing in Libya to adopt measures of extreme caution as it was preparing to send consular staff in order to facilitate their return their country following an attack in Egypt's western desert region near the
border Borders are usually defined as geographical boundaries, imposed either by features such as oceans and terrain, or by political entities such as governments, sovereign states, federated states, and other subnational entities. Political borders c ...
with Libya that left 22 Egyptian border guards killed. A week later, the ministry announced that it would double its diplomatic officials on the Libyan-Tunisian border and reiterated its call on Egyptian nationals to find shelter in safer places in Libya. On 3 August, Egypt, Libya and Tunisia agreed to cooperate by establishing an
airbridge Airbridge or air bridge may refer to: *AirBridge (alliance) or AiRUnion, a defunct Russian-backed consortium *Airbridge (band), an early-1980s British progressive-rock band *Airbridge (logistics), the route and means of delivering material from on ...
between Cairo and Tunis that would facilitate the transfer of 2,000 to 2,500 Egyptians from Libya daily. On 31 July 2014, two Egyptians were shot dead during a clash at the Libyan-Tunisian border where hundreds of Egyptians were staging a protest at the Ras Jdeir border crossing. As they tried to cross into Tunisia, Libyan authorities opened fire to disperse them. A similar incident occurred once again on 15 August, when Libyan security forces shot dead an Egyptian who attempted to force his way through the border along with hundreds of stranded Egyptians and almost 1,200 Egyptians made it into Tunisia that day. This came a few days after Egypt's Minister of Civil Aviation, Hossam Kamal, announced that the emergency airlift consisting of 46 flights aimed at evacuating the country's nationals from Libya came to a conclusion, adding that 11,500 Egyptians in total had returned from the war-torn country as of 9 August. A week later, all Egyptians on the Libyan-Tunisian border were evacuated and the consulate's staff, who were reassigned to work at the border area, withdrew from Libya following the operation's success. Meanwhile, an estimated 50,000 Egyptians (4,000 per day) arrived at the Salloum border crossing on the Libyan-Egyptian border as of early August. In 2020, Egypt helped devise the 2020 Cairo Declaration, however, this was quickly rejected. On 21 June 2020, the President of Egypt,
Abdel Fattah al-Sisi Abdel Fattah Saeed Hussein Khalil el-Sisi; (born 19 November 1954) is an Egyptian politician and retired military officer who has served as the sixth and current president of Egypt since 2014. Before retiring as a general in the Egyptian mil ...
ordered his army to be prepared for any mission outside the nation, stating that his country has a legitimate right to intervene in neighboring Libya. Besides, he also warned the GNA forces to not cross the current frontline with Haftar's LNA. An official statement issued by
Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in Western Asia. It covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and has a land area of about , making it the fifth-largest country in Asia, the second-largest in the A ...
and
United Arab Emirates The United Arab Emirates (UAE; ar, اَلْإِمَارَات الْعَرَبِيَة الْمُتَحِدَة ), or simply the Emirates ( ar, الِْإمَارَات ), is a country in Western Asia (The Middle East). It is located at th ...
on 21 June 2020, stated that the two Gulf nations extended full support to the Egypt's government regarding its intentions of military intervention in Libya. The UN-recognized GNA condemned
Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediter ...
, UAE,
Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...
and
France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
for providing military support to Haftar’s militias. * {{flag, Malta – Along with most of the international community,
Malta Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...
continues to recognize the Government of National Accord as the legitimate government of Libya. I Eastern Libyan government chargé d'affaires Hussin Musrati insisted that by doing so, Malta was "interfering in Libyan affairs". Due to the conflict, there are currently two Libyan embassies in Malta. The General National Congress now controls the official Libyan Embassy in
Balzan Balzan ( mt, Ħal Balzan) is a municipality in the Central Region of Malta, one of the so-called three villages, together with Attard and Lija. The village originally consisted of a group of small dwellings and farms but eventually grew, becom ...
, while the Tobruk-based Eastern Libyan House of Representatives has opened a consulate in
Ta' Xbiex Ta' Xbiex () is a locality and Local Council in the Central Region of Malta with a population of 2148 (estimated 2019) It is part of a small headland within the Marsamxett Harbour, right between the villages of Msida and Gżira. Etymology It ...
. Each of the two embassies say that visas issued by the other entity are not valid. Following the expansion of ISIL in Libya, particularly the fall of Nawfaliya, the Maltese
Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...
Joseph Muscat and
Leader of the Opposition The Leader of the Opposition is a title traditionally held by the leader of the largest political party not in government, typical in countries utilizing the parliamentary system form of government. The leader of the opposition is typically se ...
Simon Busuttil Simon Busuttil (born 20 March 1969) is the Secretary General of the EPP Group (European People's Party) in the European Parliament. Formerly, he was Leader of the Opposition. and Leader of the Nationalist Party in Malta and a Member of the E ...
called for the
United Nations The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and international security, security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be ...
and
European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of and an estimated total population of about 447million. The EU has often been des ...
to intervene in Libya to prevent the country from becoming a failed state. In 2020 Malta stated that its policy on Libya was in line with that of Turkey. * {{flag, Sudan – At the early stage of the conflict, Sudanese dictator Omar al-Bashir, an Islamist himself, had sought to reach support to the Tripoli government, having supplied weaponry and aids to the rebels overthrowing Muammar Gaddafi. However, after al-Bashir's realignment with Saudi Arabia in wake of Yemeni conflict, Sudan provided support to Haftar's force to gain support from Saudi Arabia. Sudan had sent 1,000 militia personnel to aid Haftar. Nonetheless, in July 2017, General
Khalifa Haftar Field Marshal Khalifa Belqasim Haftar ( ar, خليفة بلقاسم حفتر, Ḵalīfa Bilqāsim Ḥaftar; born 7 November 1943) is a Libyan-American politician, military officer, and the commander of the Tobruk-based Libyan National Army (LNA) ...
of the
Libyan National Army The Libyan National Army (LNA; ar, الجيش الوطني الليبي, ''al-jaysh al-waṭaniyy al-Lībii'') is a component of Libya's military forces which were nominally a unified national force under the command of Field Marshal Khalifa Ha ...
ordered the closing of the Sudanese consulate in the town of
Kufra Kufra () is a basinBertarelli (1929), p. 514. and oasis group in the Kufra District of southeastern Cyrenaica in Libya. At the end of nineteenth century Kufra became the centre and holy place of the Senussi order. It also played a minor role in ...
, and expelled 12 diplomats. The consul and 11 other consular staff were given 72 hours to leave the country. The reason given that the way it conducted its work was "damaging to Libyan national security." The Sudanese government protested and summoned Libyan chargé d'affaires in
Khartoum Khartoum or Khartum ( ; ar, الخرطوم, Al-Khurṭūm, din, Kaartuɔ̈m) is the capital of Sudan. With a population of 5,274,321, its metropolitan area is the largest in Sudan. It is located at the confluence of the White Nile, flowing n ...
, Ali Muftah Mahroug, in response, lingering the distrust between Haftar to the Sudanese. Sudan recognises the
Government of National Accord The Government of National Accord ( ar, حكومة الوفاق الوطني) was an interim government for Libya that was formed under the terms of the Libyan Political Agreement, a United Nations–led initiative, signed on 17 December 2015. Th ...
in Tripoli as the government of Libya, not the
House of Representatives House of Representatives is the name of legislative bodies in many countries and sub-national entitles. In many countries, the House of Representatives is the lower house of a bicameral legislature, with the corresponding upper house often c ...
that is backed by General Haftar. As of 2017 Sudan has not opened an embassy in Tripoli but maintains a consulate in the Libyan capital to provide service to Sudanese citizens. In 2020, following the overthrown of Omar al-Bashir, Sudan has sought to investigate the role of the United Arab Emirates on bringing Sudanese mercenaries fighting in Libya and have arrested a number of them. * {{flag, Tunisia – Post-revolutionary Tunisia also had its share of instability due to the violence in Libya as it witnessed an unprecedented rise in radical Islamism with increased militant activity and weapons' smuggling through the border. In response to the initial clashes in May, the Tunisian National Council for Security held an emergency meeting and decided to deploy 5,000 soldiers to the Libyan–Tunisian border in anticipation of potential consequences from the fighting. On 30 July 2014, Tunisian Foreign Minister
Mongi Hamdi Mongi Hamdi ( ar, منجي حامدي; born 23 April 1959) is a United Nations official who was appointed interim foreign minister of Tunisia by Prime Minister Mehdi Jomaa. He served from 29 January 2014 until his appointment as Special Represent ...
said that the country cannot cope with the high number of refugees coming from Libya due to the renewed fighting. "Our country's economic situation is precarious, and we cannot cope with hundreds of thousands of refugees," Hamdi said in a statement. He also added that Tunisia will close its borders if necessary. Tunisian Foreign Minister, Khemaies Jhinaoui, revived Tunisia's stance to stop the fighting in Libya and follow the UN-led political suit. He stressed on rejection of military solutions to the war. In January 2020, Tunisia said that it is preparing to accommodate a new inflow of migrants escaping the war in Libya. The country has chosen the site of Fatnassia to receive Libyan refugees.


Others

* {{flag, United Nations – On 27 August 2014, the
UN Security Council The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations (UN) and is charged with ensuring international peace and security, recommending the admission of new UN members to the General Assembly, and ...
unanimously approved resolution 2174 (2014), which called for an immediate ceasefire and an inclusive political dialogue. The resolution also threatened to impose sanctions, such as asset freezes and travel bans, against the leaders and supporters of the various militias involved in the fighting, if the individuals threaten either the security of Libya or the political process.{{cite news, date=27 August 2014, title=UN to impose sanctions on Libyan militia leaders, url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-28959587, work=
BBC News BBC News is an operational business division of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs in the UK and around the world. The department is the world's largest broadca ...
The United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres, expressed his fears of a "full civil war" in Libya, unless the international community finds a political solution for the country's conflict. In 2019, the United Nations reported that
Jordan Jordan ( ar, الأردن; tr. ' ), officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan,; tr. ' is a country in Western Asia. It is situated at the crossroads of Asia, Africa, and Europe, within the Levant region, on the East Bank of the Jordan Rive ...
,
Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a list of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolia, Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with ...
and the
United Arab Emirates The United Arab Emirates (UAE; ar, اَلْإِمَارَات الْعَرَبِيَة الْمُتَحِدَة ), or simply the Emirates ( ar, الِْإمَارَات ), is a country in Western Asia (The Middle East). It is located at th ...
had systematically violated the Libyan arms embargo. In February 2020, Libya's Ambassador to the UN, Taher Al-Sunni, emphasized on documenting attacks against civilians, medical personnel and field hospitals in Libya, during his meeting with the Director-General of the International Committee of the Red Cross. Around 2 March 2020, Ghassan Salamé (the UN special envoy to Libya) resigned, citing the failure of powerful nations to meet their recent commitments. In June 2020, UN secretary general,
António Guterres António Manuel de Oliveira Guterres ( , ; born 30 April 1949) is a Portuguese politician and diplomat. Since 2017, he has served as secretary-general of the United Nations, the ninth person to hold this title. A member of the Portuguese Socia ...
condemned and expressed shock at discovering mass graves in a Libyan territory that was formerly captured by the forces of general
Khalifa Haftar Field Marshal Khalifa Belqasim Haftar ( ar, خليفة بلقاسم حفتر, Ḵalīfa Bilqāsim Ḥaftar; born 7 November 1943) is a Libyan-American politician, military officer, and the commander of the Tobruk-based Libyan National Army (LNA) ...
, backed by the governments of
Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediter ...
,
Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...
and the
United Arab Emirates The United Arab Emirates (UAE; ar, اَلْإِمَارَات الْعَرَبِيَة الْمُتَحِدَة ), or simply the Emirates ( ar, الِْإمَارَات ), is a country in Western Asia (The Middle East). It is located at th ...
. Guterres commanded the UN-backed government to ensure identifying the victims, investigate into the cause of death and return the bodies to the respective family. On 25 September 2020, UN diplomats revealed that Russia and
China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
blocked the official release of a report by UN experts on Libya. The report accused the warring parties and their international backers, including Russia, the United Arab Emirates and
Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediter ...
, of violating the 2011 UN
arms embargo An arms embargo is a restriction or a set of sanctions that applies either solely to weaponry or also to "dual-use technology." An arms embargo may serve one or more purposes: * to signal disapproval of the behavior of a certain actor * to maintain ...
on the war-torn country. The UN identified the Sigma Airlines also known as Sigma Aviation and Air Sigma, a commercial cargo air company from
Kazakhstan Kazakhstan, officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental country located mainly in Central Asia and partly in Eastern Europe. It borders Russia to the north and west, China to the east, Kyrgyzstan to the southeast, Uzbeki ...
, as one of the commercial air cargo providers that have violated the arms embargo in Libya.{{Cite web, url=https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32020R1309&from=EN, title=COUNCIL IMPLEMENTING REGULATION (EU) 2020/1309 of 21 September 2020 implementing Article 21(2) of Regulation (EU) 2016/44 concerning restrictive measures in view of the situation in Libya, website=eur-lex.europa.eu, access-date=21 September 2020 In March 2021, in a new report, UN accused United Arab Emirates, Russia, Egypt, Turkey and Qatar of extensive and blatant violations. The report included photos, diagrams and maps in order to support the accusations. The UN report stated that Erik Prince attempted to deploy a Light Attack and Surveillance Aircraft (LASA) to Libya, disguised as a crop duster. The aircraft, LASA T-Bird, was owned by a UAE-based firm, L-6 FZE. Besides, it was modified with some deadly additions- “a 16-57mm Rocket Pod, a 32-57mm Rocket Pod and a gun pod fitted with twin 23mm cannon under its wings”. * {{flag, France – On 30 July 2014, the French government temporarily closed its embassy in Tripoli, while 40 French, including the ambassador, and 7 British nationals were evacuated on a French warship bound for the port of
Toulon Toulon (, , ; oc, label= Provençal, Tolon , , ) is a city on the French Riviera and a large port on the Mediterranean coast, with a major naval base. Located in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, and the Provence province, Toulon is th ...
in southern France. "We have taken all necessary measures to allow those French nationals who so wish to leave the country temporarily," the foreign ministry said. In 2016, a helicopter carrying three French special forces soldiers was shot down south of
Benghazi Benghazi () , ; it, Bengasi; tr, Bingazi; ber, Bernîk, script=Latn; also: ''Bengasi'', ''Benghasi'', ''Banghāzī'', ''Binghāzī'', ''Bengazi''; grc, Βερενίκη (''Berenice'') and ''Hesperides''., group=note (''lit. Son of he Ghazi ...
during what President
François Hollande François Gérard Georges Nicolas Hollande (; born 12 August 1954) is a French politician who served as President of France from 2012 to 2017. He previously was First Secretary of the Socialist Party (PS) from 1997 to 2008, Mayor of Tulle from ...
called "dangerous intelligence operations."{{cite web , publisher=Reuters , title=France says three soldiers died in accident on Libya intelligence... , date=2016-07-20 , url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-libya-security-france/three-french-soldiers-killed-in-libya-french-defense-ministry-idUSKCN1000R3 , access-date=2018-02-24{{cite web , title=France confirms three soldiers killed in Libya , publisher=Al Jazeera , date=2016-07-20 , url=http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/07/france-confirms-soldiers-killed-libya-160720105518216.html , access-date=2018-02-24 In December 2019, French government canceled the delivery of boats to Libya following a lawsuit filed by NGOs opposing the move. The NGOs cited the French donation as a violation of European embargo on Libya for providing military equipment and arms to countries involved in war crimes. * {{flag, India – Ministry of External Affairs spokesman, Syed Akbaruddin, said that India's diplomatic mission in Libya has been in touch with the 4,500 Indian nationals, through several coordinators. "The mission is facilitating return of Indian nationals and working with the Libyan authorities to obtain necessary exit permissions for Indian nationals wanting to return," he said.{{cite web, url=http://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/Amid-Civil-War-Stranded-Indians-Begin-to-Leave-Libya/2014/07/30/article2355270.ece, title=Amid Civil War, Stranded Indians Begin to Leave Libya, work=The New Indian Express, date=30 July 2014, access-date=19 August 2014 * {{flag, Iran – Iran has facilitated a very difficult role in this conflict. Unlike many countries in the Middle East that Iran has interests, Iran has very little to none of interest in Libya, but Iran has desired to expand its Islamic Revolution to Africa. However, Saudi Arabia's support for Haftar has complicated Iran's desire, as Iran has also been accused of supporting Haftar's force, even when Tehran has refrained from siding with Haftar. On the other hand, Iran also provides political support to Turkey's military intervention to Libya. * {{flag, Israel – Israel and Libya do not have any official relations. However, during the time in exile, Khalifa Haftar had developed a close and secret tie with the United States, thus extended to Israel, and the secret tie resulted in Israel quietly backing Khalifa Haftar on his quest to conquer all of Libya. Israeli advisors are alleged to have trained Haftar's force to prepare for war against the Islamist-backed government in Tripoli. Israeli weapons are also seen in Haftar's forces, mostly throughout Emirati mediation. The
Mossad Mossad ( , ), ; ar, الموساد, al-Mōsād, ; , short for ( he, המוסד למודיעין ולתפקידים מיוחדים, links=no), meaning 'Institute for Intelligence and Special Operations'. is the national intelligence agency ...
developed a strong relationship with Haftar and also assists his forces in the conflict. * {{flag, Italy – The Italian embassy has remained open during the civil war and the government has always pushed for the success of UN-hosted talks among Libya's political parties in Geneva. Prime Minister
Matteo Renzi Matteo Renzi (; born 11 January 1975) is an Italian politician who served as prime minister of Italy from 2014 to 2016. He has been a senator for Florence since 2018. Renzi has served as the leader of Italia Viva (IV) since 2019, having been ...
said "If there's no success, Italy is ready to play a leading role, above all a diplomatic role, and then, always under the aegis of the UN, one of peacekeeping inside Libya", adding that "Libya can't be left in the condition it is now." In 2015, four Italian workers were kidnapped by Islamic State militants near
Sabratha Sabratha ( ar, صبراتة, Ṣabrāta; also ''Sabratah'', ''Siburata''), in the Zawiya District{{cite web , last=Balmer , first=Crispian , title=Two Italian hostages freed in Libya after companions die , publisher=Reuters , date=2016-03-04 , url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-libya-italy-hostages/two-italian-hostages-freed-in-libya-source-close-to-matter-idUSKCN0W60SC , access-date=2018-02-24 Between February 2015 and December 2016, however, Italy was forced to close its embassy and every Italian citizen in Libya was advised to leave. The embassy reopened on 9 January 2017. * {{flag, Morocco – Morocco turned down an offer by the United Arab Emirates in 2020 to provide support for Khalifa Haftar. Instead, Morocco expressed its hope to mediate for the end of the conflict. * {{flag, Russia – In February 2015, discussions on supporting the Libyan parliament by supplying them with weapons reportedly took place in
Cairo Cairo ( ; ar, القاهرة, al-Qāhirah, ) is the capital of Egypt and its largest city, home to 10 million people. It is also part of the largest urban agglomeration in Africa, the Arab world and the Middle East: The Greater Cairo metro ...
when
President of Russia The president of the Russian Federation ( rus, Президент Российской Федерации, Prezident Rossiyskoy Federatsii) is the head of state of the Russian Federation. The president leads the executive branch of the federal ...
Vladimir Putin Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin; (born 7 October 1952) is a Russian politician and former intelligence officer who holds the office of president of Russia. Putin has served continuously as president or prime minister since 1999: as prime min ...
arrived for talks with the government of Egypt, during which the Russian delegates also spoke with a Libyan delegation. Colonel Ahmed al-Mismari, the spokesperson for the Libyan Army's chief of staff, also stated that "Arming the Libyan army was a point of discussion between the Egyptian and Russian presidents in Cairo." The deputy foreign minister of Russia, Mikhail Bogdanov, has stated that Russia will supply the government of Libya with weapons if UN sanctions against Libya are lifted. In April 2015, Prime Minister Abdullah al-Thani visited Moscow and announced that Russia and Libya will strengthen their relations, especially economic relations. He also met with
Sergei Lavrov Sergey Viktorovich Lavrov (russian: Сергей Викторович Лавров, ; born 21 March 1950) is a Russian diplomat and politician who has served as the Foreign Minister of Russia since 2004. Lavrov served as the Permanent Represe ...
, the Russian
Minister of Foreign Affairs A foreign affairs minister or minister of foreign affairs (less commonly minister for foreign affairs) is generally a cabinet minister in charge of a state's foreign policy and relations. The formal title of the top official varies between cou ...
, and said that he requested Russia's assistance in fixing the country's government institutions and military strength. The prime minister also met with Nikolai Patrushev, the Russian president's security adviser, and talked about the need to restore stability in Libya as well as the influence of terrorist groups in the country. Patrushev stated that a "priority for regional politics is the protection of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Libya." A private army of 100 mercenaries from the Wagner group, backed by Russian President Vladimir Putin, has begun offensive on the forward base in Libya. On 2 October 2019, at least 35 Russian mercenaries were killed in Libya while fighting for Khalifa Haftar's forces. According to the reports, senior commander in Russian Wagner Group, Alexander Kuznetsov was injured while fighting alongside Haftar's militias in south of Tripoli. In a joint press conference with the German Chancellor Angela Merkel, the Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed the involvement of Russian mercenaries in Tripoli's ongoing conflict. He also said they are not affiliated to Moscow and are not funded by the government. These fighters were transferred to Libya from the de-escalation zone in Syria's Idlib. French daily ''Le Monde'' reported that Saudi Arabia was funding the operations of Russian Wagner mercenaries deployed to support Khalifa Haftar in Libya. It also claimed that over 2000 Russian mercenaries were involved in carrying out attacks on Tripoli in late 2019. * {{flag, Saudi Arabia – Saudi Arabia since 2014 has thrown a significant support for Haftar's force fighting in Libya. According from
Wall Street Journal ''The Wall Street Journal'' is an American business-focused, international daily newspaper based in New York City, with international editions also available in Chinese and Japanese. The ''Journal'', along with its Asian editions, is published ...
and retrieved by Al Jazeera, Saudi Arabia had given millions of dollars to support Haftar's army in its failed attempt to takeover Tripoli after a meeting with General Haftar by Saudi King
Salman Salman may refer to: People * Salman (name), people with the name Places in Iran * Salman, Khuzestan, a village in Khuzestan Province * Salman, alternate name of Deh-e Salman, Lorestan, a village in Lorestan Province * Salman, Razavi Khorasan, a ...
. Due to Haftar's defeat, Saudi Arabia was thought to have become increasingly involved in Libya. * {{flag, Syria – The involvement of Syria in the Libya war has remained less exposed, while the links began in 2018. The Syrian government of
Bashar al-Assad Bashar Hafez al-Assad, ', Levantine pronunciation: ; (, born 11 September 1965) is a Syrian politician who is the 19th president of Syria, since 17 July 2000. In addition, he is the commander-in-chief of the Syrian Armed Forces and the ...
has been backing Khalifa Haftar, where mercenaries from Damascus were been transported to Benghazi. In April 2021,
Cham Wings Cham Wings Airlines ( ar, أجنحة الشام للطيران, links= , previously known as Sham Wing Airlines) is a private Syrian airline with its head office in Damascus, Syria. The company slogan is ''Fly Beyond The Limits.'' History Cham W ...
, a private airline owned by Assad's cousin Rami Makhlouf and sanctioned by the US and the European parliament, made nine round trips to Libya. The flights reportedly transport Syrian mercenaries to fight alongside Haftar forces. Specialists have said that these mercenaries fighting for the general (currently 2,000) were operated by Russia and were funded by the United Arab Emirates. * {{flag, Thailand – In late July 2014, the Thai government asked Libya's authorities to facilitate the evacuation of its nationals by exempting the need for exit visas. As of 14 August, over 800 Thai workers have been successfully evacuated from the country, while Thailand's Ministry of Labour announced that it would prepare jobs for more than 2,800 workers residing in Libya. * {{flag, Turkey – Turkey has been one of the most active critics of the Eastern Government led by
Khalifa Haftar Field Marshal Khalifa Belqasim Haftar ( ar, خليفة بلقاسم حفتر, Ḵalīfa Bilqāsim Ḥaftar; born 7 November 1943) is a Libyan-American politician, military officer, and the commander of the Tobruk-based Libyan National Army (LNA) ...
. Turkey has transported arms, ammunitions and aids to the Western Government led by
Fayez al-Sarraj Fayez Mustafa al-Sarraj ( ar, فائز السراج or ; born 20 February 1960) is a Libyan politician who served as the Chairman of the Presidential Council of Libya and Head of Government of the Government of National Accord from 2016 to 2021, ...
against Haftar's force. In 2019, the
Libyan National Army The Libyan National Army (LNA; ar, الجيش الوطني الليبي, ''al-jaysh al-waṭaniyy al-Lībii'') is a component of Libya's military forces which were nominally a unified national force under the command of Field Marshal Khalifa Ha ...
accused the Turkish authorities of supporting terrorist groups in Libya for many years, adding that the Turkish support has evolved from just logistic support to a direct interference using military aircraft to transport mercenaries, as well as ships carrying weapons, armored vehicles and ammunition to support terrorism in Libya. In 2016,
Jordan Jordan ( ar, الأردن; tr. ' ), officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan,; tr. ' is a country in Western Asia. It is situated at the crossroads of Asia, Africa, and Europe, within the Levant region, on the East Bank of the Jordan Rive ...
's king accused Turkey of helping Islamist militias in Libya and
Somalia Somalia, , Osmanya script: 𐒈𐒝𐒑𐒛𐒐𐒘𐒕𐒖; ar, الصومال, aṣ-Ṣūmāl officially the Federal Republic of SomaliaThe ''Federal Republic of Somalia'' is the country's name per Article 1 of thProvisional Constituti ...
. In July 2019,
Recep Tayyip Erdoğan Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (born 26 February 1954) is a Turkish politician serving as the List of presidents of Turkey, 12th and current president of Turkey since 2014. He previously served as prime minister of Turkey from 2003 to 2014 and as Lis ...
, the President of Turkey, threatened to declare war on Khalifa Haftar after receiving news of six Turkish citizens arrested by Haftar's force. On 27 December 2019 Bloomberg reported that Turkey intended to deploy its navy to protect Tripoli and send troops to help train GNA forces. Additionally Turkmen rebel groups fighting in northern Syria were expected to transfer to Tripoli.{{cite news , url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-12-27/turkey-backed-syrian-rebels-to-join-libya-war-against-haftar , title=Turkish Navy to Guard Tripoli as Syrian Rebels May Join War , author1=Selcan Hacaoglu , author2=Samer Al-Atrush , publisher=Bloomberg , date=27 December 2019 , access-date=2 January 2020 The Speaker of the Turkish Parliament subsequently announced Turkey's plans to send troops to help Libya's Presidential Council's government, especially after the efforts of Haftar's backers, including UAE, to pressurize Fayez Al-Sarraj to recede the request for Turkey's support. On 2 January 2020, the
Turkish Grand National Assembly The Grand National Assembly of Turkey ( tr, ), usually referred to simply as the TBMM or Parliament ( tr, or ''Parlamento''), is the unicameral Turkish legislature. It is the sole body given the legislative prerogatives by the Turkish Consti ...
voted 325–184 to send troops to help the internationally recognized Government of National Accord in Libya. In February 2020, the captain of the Lebanese-flagged cargo ship ''Bana'' was arrested in Italy. The vessel was accused of transferring arms and Turkish military personnel from Turkey to Libya in violation of the United Nations arms embargo. A crew member offered information to the Italian authorities. The
French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle ''Charles de Gaulle'' is the flagship of the French Navy. The ship, commissioned in 2001, is the tenth French aircraft carrier, the first French nuclear-powered surface vessel, and the only nuclear-powered carrier completed outside of the United ...
also spotted the ship. In addition, a
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board ex ...
report confirmed that Turkey was sending secret arms shipments into Libya with the Bana, with the escort of Turkish navy frigates. On 21 September 2020, Council of the European Union imposed sanctions on the Turkish maritime company Avrasya Shipping which operates the Çirkin freighter, because the vessel found to have violated the UN arms embargo in Libya in May and June 2020. * {{flag, United Kingdom – Following France's evacuation of some British nationals, the UK's embassy in Tripoli was the only diplomatic mission still open in the war-torn city. However, British diplomats residing there have sought refuge in a fortified compound south-west of the city to avoid the repetitive rocket attacks by warring militias. Three days earlier, a convoy carrying British diplomats from Tripoli to Tunisia came under fire when their vehicles refused to stop at an unofficial checkpoint in the outskirts of the city.{{cite news, url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/libya/10994333/British-diplomats-attacked-during-evacuation-from-Libyan-embassy.html , archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220111/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/libya/10994333/British-diplomats-attacked-during-evacuation-from-Libyan-embassy.html , archive-date=11 January 2022 , url-access=subscription , url-status=live, title=British diplomats attacked during evacuation from Libyan embassy, work=The Telegraph, date=27 July 2014, access-date=16 August 2014, author1=Spencer, Richard , author2=Morajea, Hassan , location=London{{cbignore On 2 August, the
Foreign and Commonwealth Office The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) is a Departments of the Government of the United Kingdom, department of the Government of the United Kingdom. Equivalent to other countries' Ministry of Foreign Affairs, ministries of fore ...
finally announced that it would temporarily close its embassy in the capital and evacuate its staff. Ambassador
Michael Aron Michael Douglas Aron (born 22 March 1959) is a British diplomat who has been Ambassador to Kuwait, Iraq, Libya and Sudan, and Yemen. Career Aron was educated at Exeter School, Leeds University and the Polytechnic of Central London. He taught En ...
said that the embassy would continue to operate from Tunisia. The following day, the
Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...
ship HMS ''Enterprise'' managed to evacuate more than a hundred foreign nationals from the country to
Malta Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...
, most of whom were British, in an operation off the coast of Tripoli. In March 2016, Ambassador Peter Millett called for "a much more coordinated approach between the different groups, regions and forces and the armed groups in Libya" in order to defeat ISIL in Libya. Head of British Embassy in Libya, Nicholas Hopton said that Britain is drafting a resolution in the Security Council in order to genuinely end the Libyan crisis. The draft resolution urges the U.N. and the international community to effectively achieve a ceasefire with the help of a monitoring mission and other sources, the HCS Information Office said. * {{flag, United Arab Emirates – In June 2019 the GNA discovered a cache of US-made Javelin anti-tank missiles in a captured LNA base in the mountains south of Tripoli. Markings on the missiles’ shipping containers indicate that they were originally sold to Oman and the United Arab Emirates in 2008. Emirati forces, who previously conducted airstrikes on Islamist targets in Libya, were suspected of backing General Khalifa Haftar. The United States State Department and Defense Department stated they have opened investigations into how the weapons ended up on the Libyan battlefield. The Emirati Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement denying ownership of weapons found in Libya and stated that it supported United Nations-led efforts to broker a political solution to the conflict. France later released a statement that the missiles found in the base belonged to France, and that they were damaged and out of use. Nevertheless, the UAE has been identified as a strong supporter of Khalifa Haftar and the LNA, which saw the Libyan general and his forces as the best bulwark to contain and combat various Islamist groups in the war torn country; the UN reported that the UAE supplied Haftar's forces with aircraft, over 100 armoured vehicles and over US$200 million in aid. According to '' The Libya Observer'', a covert deal between Khalifa Haftar and figures from the Muammar Gaddafi-era, Revolutionary Committees, was signed in
Abu Dhabi Abu Dhabi (, ; ar, أَبُو ظَبْيٍ ' ) is the capital and second-most populous city (after Dubai) of the United Arab Emirates. It is also the capital of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi and the centre of the Abu Dhabi Metropolitan Area. ...
, UAE. Both the parties agreed to share power in Libya, enabling Gaddafi's loyalists to retrieve power in return for supporting Haftar in the ongoing fighting. According to a French Intelligence website, UAE supplied around 3,000 tons of military equipment to Haftar forces in late January 2020. The transit operation was completed through "Antonov 124" aircraft owned by Abu Dhabi
Crown Prince A crown prince or hereditary prince is the heir apparent to the throne in a royal or imperial monarchy. The female form of the title is crown princess, which may refer either to an heiress apparent or, especially in earlier times, to the wif ...
Mohammed bin Zayed Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan ( ar, مُحَمّد بِن زَايد آل نَهيَان, Moḥamed bin Zāyed Āl Nahyān; born 11 March 1961), colloquially known by his initials as MBZ, is the third president of the United Arab Emirat ...
and operated by Makassimos Air Cargo Company. In April 2020, it was reported that the United Arab Emirates secretly purchased an advanced missile system from
Israel Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...
. The UAE, which had been supplying weapons to Khalifa Haftar in the
Libyan civil war Demographics of Libya is the demography of Libya, specifically covering population density, ethnicity, education level, health of the populace, economic status, and religious affiliations, as well as other aspects of the Libyan population. The ...
, also deployed the Israeli-made missile system in the war through the LNA. On 20 April 2020, the ''Financial Times'' reported the suspected violation of an international
arms embargo An arms embargo is a restriction or a set of sanctions that applies either solely to weaponry or also to "dual-use technology." An arms embargo may serve one or more purposes: * to signal disapproval of the behavior of a certain actor * to maintain ...
by the United Arab Emirates. It reported the claims after reviewing documents that cited 11,000 tonnes of jet fuel shipment worth nearly $5 million was sent by the UAE to Khalifa Haftar-controlled eastern Libya in March 2020. The shipment is currently under probe by a panel of experts from the United Nations. According to
Human Rights Watch Human Rights Watch (HRW) is an international non-governmental organization, headquartered in New York City, that conducts research and advocacy on human rights. The group pressures governments, policy makers, companies, and individual human r ...
, on 18 November 2019, the UAE launched a drone attack on a biscuit factory in Al-Sunbulah that killed 8 civilians and injured 27. The factory was shut down after the attack. According to an investigation led by Human Rights Watch, the factory had no military presence. The remnants of four laser-guided missiles – Blue Arrow-7 (BA-7) – were found, which were launched via a
Wing Loong II The Chengdu GJ-2, also known as Wing Loong 2, is an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) capable of remotely controlled or autonomous flight developed by the Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group in the People's Republic of China. Intended for use as a surv ...
drone. In May 2020, a confidential report by the United Nations revealed that the UAE had been supporting the mission of Khalifa Haftar through two
Dubai Dubai (, ; ar, دبي, translit=Dubayy, , ) is the most populous city in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the capital of the Emirate of Dubai, the most populated of the 7 emirates of the United Arab Emirates.The Government and Politics of ...
-based companies, Lancaster 6 DMCC and Opus Capital Asset Limited FZE. These firms deployed a team of 20 Western mercenaries led by
South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...
n national Steve Lodge to Libya for a "well funded private military company operation" in June 2019. An investigation by ''
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board ex ...
'' Africa Eye and BBC Arabic Documentaries revealed that in a strike on 4 January 2020, the UAE-operated Wing Loong II drone was used to fire a Chinese Blue Arrow 7 missile, which killed 26 unarmed cadets. During that time, the Wing Loong II drones were being operated only from the UAE-run Al-Khadim Libyan air base. In December 2020, the US Pentagon said that the UAE funded the Russian
mercenaries A mercenary, sometimes also known as a soldier of fortune or hired gun, is a private individual, particularly a soldier, that joins a military conflict for personal profit, is otherwise an outsider to the conflict, and is not a member of any o ...
to fight against the US-backed government in Libya. The reported presented by the Pentagon's inspector general also revealed that the Emirates was majorly a financial backer of Russia's Wagner Group, who deployed its mercenaries in Libya. In June 2019, the Dubai-based firm owned by the Australian pilot Christiaan Durrant, Lancaster 6 supplied three Super Pumas to Haftar's LNA. However, the helicopters were considered insufficiently operational and remained in their hangars until May 2021. The Super Pumas were seen at Haftar's military parade in 2021 and were expected to be integrated into his air force. * {{flag, United States – The United States has been active in post-2011 Libya with the military carrying out sporadic airstrikes and raids in the country, predominantly against Islamist groups. In 2014, U.S. commandos seized an oil tanker bound for anti-government militias and returned it to the Libyan national government.{{cite news , title=U.S. Navy SEALs take over oil tanker for return to Libya , newspaper=Washington Post , date=2014-03-17 , url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/us-seals-board-north-korea-flagged-tanker-for-return-to-libya/2014/03/17/ddab14bc-add6-11e3-9627-c65021d6d572_story.html , access-date=2018-02-24 Two months later, the U.S. embassy in
Tripoli Tripoli or Tripolis may refer to: Cities and other geographic units Greece *Tripoli, Greece, the capital of Arcadia, Greece * Tripolis (region of Arcadia), a district in ancient Arcadia, Greece * Tripolis (Larisaia), an ancient Greek city in ...
was evacuated due to a heavy militia presence in the capital.{{cite web , last1=Starr , first1=Barbara , last2=Sterling , first2=Joe , last3=Ansari , first3=Azadeh , title=U.S. Embassy in Libya evacuates personnel , publisher=CNN , date=2014-07-26 , url=https://www.cnn.com/2014/07/26/world/africa/libya-us-embassy-evacuation/index.html , access-date=2018-02-24 In 2015, U.S. warplanes killed the head of the Islamic State in Libya in a strike.{{cite web , last1=Pengelly , first1=Martin , last2=Stephen , first2=Chris , title=Islamic State leader in Libya 'killed in US airstrike' , website=The Guardian , date=2015-11-14 , url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/nov/14/us-airstrike-isis-leader-libya , access-date=2018-02-24 In 2016,
U.S. President The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States ...
Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the U ...
stated that not preparing for a post-Gaddafi Libya was the "worst mistake" of his presidency.{{cite news , url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-36013703 , title=President Obama: Libya aftermath 'worst mistake' of presidency , work=BBC News , date=11 April 2016 , access-date=14 September 2016 On 19 January 2017, the day before President Obama left office, the United States bombed two IS camps in Libya, reportedly killing 80 militants.{{cite web , last=Starr , first=Barbara , title=First on CNN: US bombs ISIS camps in Libya, dozens killed , publisher=CNN , date=2017-01-19 , url=https://www.cnn.com/2017/01/19/politics/us-airstrikes-libya-isis/index.html , access-date=2018-02-24 These types of operations have continued under the
Trump administration Donald Trump's tenure as the List of presidents of the United States, 45th president of the United States began with Inauguration of Donald Trump, his inauguration on January 20, 2017, and ended on January 20, 2021. Trump, a Republican Party ...
with a September 2017 airstrike killing an estimated 17 IS militants.{{cite web , last=Browne , first=Ryan , title=US strikes Libya for first time under Trump , publisher=CNN , date=2017-09-24 , url=https://www.cnn.com/2017/09/24/politics/us-strikes-libya-trump/index.html , access-date=2018-02-24 On 25 September 2019, airstrike carried out by the U.S. killed 11 suspected ISIL militants in the town of Murzuq, Libya. This was the second airstrike in a week against the militant group, according to U.S. Africa Command. A U.S. military air-raid, on 27 September, killed 17 suspected ISIL militants in southwest Libya, making it a third strike against the militia group within a month. On 30 September, US Africa Command said it conducted an airstrike in southern Libya that killed 7 ISIL militants, alongside the Government of National Accord. This marked the fourth raid in the region against ISIL in two weeks. On 10 February 2020, at least six Libyan families sued Haftar and the UAE government in the U.S. District Court of the District of Columbia for committing war crimes in Libya. The families of victims who were either killed, injured or faced attempted killings, demanded $1 billion in damages, said the plaintiffs’ attorneys, Martin F. McMahon & Associates. The lawsuit filed against the Libyan military commander
Khalifa Haftar Field Marshal Khalifa Belqasim Haftar ( ar, خليفة بلقاسم حفتر, Ḵalīfa Bilqāsim Ḥaftar; born 7 November 1943) is a Libyan-American politician, military officer, and the commander of the Tobruk-based Libyan National Army (LNA) ...
by the families of the victims that were killed during the military campaign by Haftar's army, backed by
Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...
, the
UAE The United Arab Emirates (UAE; ar, اَلْإِمَارَات الْعَرَبِيَة الْمُتَحِدَة ), or simply the Emirates ( ar, الِْإمَارَات ), is a country in Western Asia (The Middle East). It is located at th ...
and
Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediter ...
. First hearing of the case was on 29 September 2020, where Haftar's lawyer urged the court to drop the charges of war atrocities was rejected by Alexandria US District court judge. * {{flag, Ukraine – A number of Il-76TD turbofan strategic airlifters belonging to Ukraine-registered companies have been destroyed in Libya. Russian news outlets claimed the aircraft were possibly smuggling arms to both sides of the civil war. This claim was rejected by
Ukrainian Independent Information Agency The UNIAN or Ukrainian Independent Information Agency of News ( uk, Українське Незалежне Інформаційне Агентство Новин, УНІАН, translit=Ukrayins'ke Nezalezhne Informatsiyne Ahentstvo Novyn) is a ...
. * {{flag, Kazakhstan – On 21 September 2020, the European Union sanctioned the Sigma Airlines also known as Sigma Aviation and Air Sigma, a commercial cargo air company from Kazakhstan, because the UN found that it have violated the arms embargo in Libya. In addition, the Kazakh authorities stripped the licenses of the Sigma Airlines together with the Azee Air and Jenis Air after the UN Security Council had informed them that they have violated the embargo. * {{flag, European Union – In March 2020, the EU launched the
Operation Irini The European Union Naval Force Mediterranean Operation IRINI (EUNAVFOR MED IRINI) was launched on 31 March 2020 with the primary mission to enforce the United Nations arms embargo to Libya due to the Second Libyan Civil War. Operation IRINI is a ...
, with the primary task of implementing the UN arms embargo. On 21 September 2020, Council of the European Union imposed sanctions on 2 individuals and 3 companies (Sigma Airlines – Kazakhstan, Avrasya Shipping – Turkey, Med Wave Shipping – Jordan) over their involvement in the violation of UN arms embargo in
Libya Libya (; ar, ليبيا, Lībiyā), officially the State of Libya ( ar, دولة ليبيا, Dawlat Lībiyā), is a country in the Maghreb region in North Africa. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to Egypt–Libya bo ...
. The sanctions included the freezing of assets of individuals and a travel ban on the individuals. ;Sports * Libya had been awarded the rights to host the
2017 Africa Cup of Nations The 2017 Africa Cup of Nations (abbreviated as AFCON 2017 or CAN 2017), known as the Total 2017 Africa Cup of Nations for sponsorship reasons, was the 31st edition of the Africa Cup of Nations, the biennial international men's football champions ...
in
association football Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...
; however, the tournament was stripped from the country in August 2014, due to concerns over the ongoing conflict.{{cite news, url=https://af.reuters.com/article/sportsNews/idAFKBN0GN0F920140823, archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140826120058/http://af.reuters.com/article/sportsNews/idAFKBN0GN0F920140823, url-status=dead, archive-date=26 August 2014, title=Libya stripped of right to host 2017 Nations Cup, publisher=Reuters, date=23 August 2014


See also

* European migrant crisis * American intervention in Libya (2015–2019) *
Turkish military intervention in the Second Libyan Civil War The Turkish military intervention in the Second Libyan Civil War is a military intervention by Turkey in support of the United Nations-recognized Government of National Accord (GNA) of Libya in the Second Libyan Civil War. Military intervention wa ...
*
2022 Tripoli clashes The 2022 Tripoli clashes erupted between forces loyal to rival Libyan prime ministers Fathi Bashagha and Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh over the capital city of Tripoli. Background The Second Libyan Civil War ended with a ceasefire on 23 October 2020. Th ...


References

{{Reflist, refs= {{cite web, title =Statement by the Special Representative of the Secretary General in Libya, Ghassan Salamé, on the National Conference, publisher =
United Nations Support Mission in Libya The United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) is a United Nations (UN) advanced mission in Libya, created in the aftermath of the Libyan Civil War. UNSMIL is a political mission, not a military mission. The main elements of its mandate def ...
, date = 2019-04-09, url = https://unsmil.unmissions.org/statement-special-representative-secretary-general-libya-ghassan-salam%C3%A9-national-conference, access-date =2019-04-09 , archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20200509232254/https://unsmil.unmissions.org/statement-special-representative-secretary-general-libya-ghassan-salam%C3%A9-national-conference, archive-date=2020-05-09 , url-status=live
{{cite web , title = Remarks of SRSG Ghassan Salamé to the United Nations Security Council on the situation in Libya – 4 September 2019 , website=
UNSMIL The United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) is a United Nations (UN) advanced mission in Libya, created in the aftermath of the Libyan Civil War. UNSMIL is a political mission, not a military mission. The main elements of its mandate def ...
, date = 2019-09-04 , url = https://unsmil.unmissions.org/remarks-srsg-ghassan-salam%C3%A9-united-nations-security-council-situation-libya-4-september-2019 , access-date = 2019-09-09 , archive-url= http://archive.wikiwix.com/cache/20201223123407/http://archive.wikiwix.com/cache/index2.php?url=https://unsmil.unmissions.org/remarks-srsg-ghassan-salam%C3%A9-united-nations-security-council-situation-libya-4-september-2019 , archive-date= 2020-12-23 , url-status=live
{{cite web, title = UN urges Libyans to work for peace at National Conference, publisher =
The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...
/
Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. newspa ...
, date = 2019-03-26 , url = https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/africa/un-urges-libyans-to-work-for-peace-at-national-conference/2019/03/26/0bb403ca-500f-11e9-bdb7-44f948cc0605_story.html, access-date =2019-04-09 , archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20190409192631/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/africa/un-urges-libyans-to-work-for-peace-at-national-conference/2019/03/26/0bb403ca-500f-11e9-bdb7-44f948cc0605_story.html, archive-date= 2019-04-09, url-status=dead
{{cite news , last1= Zaptia, first1= Sami, title= UNSMIL postpones Ghadames National Conference until conditions are right , date= 2019-04-09 , publisher= Libya Herald , url= https://www.libyaherald.com/2019/04/09/unsmil-postpones-ghadames-national-conference-until-conditions-are-right/, access-date=2019-04-09 , archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20190411033724/https://www.libyaherald.com/2019/04/09/unsmil-postpones-ghadames-national-conference-until-conditions-are-right/, archive-date=2019-04-11 , url-status=live {{cite web , title= UNSMIL announces that LPDF approves the proposal of selection mechanism of executive authority for the preparatory period , website=
United Nations Support Mission in Libya The United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) is a United Nations (UN) advanced mission in Libya, created in the aftermath of the Libyan Civil War. UNSMIL is a political mission, not a military mission. The main elements of its mandate def ...
, date = 2021-01-19 , url = https://unsmil.unmissions.org/unsmil-announces-lpdf-approves-proposal-selection-mechanism-executive-authority-preparatory-period , access-date = 2021-01-20 , archive-url= https://archive.today/20210120224934/https://unsmil.unmissions.org/unsmil-announces-lpdf-approves-proposal-selection-mechanism-executive-authority-preparatory-period , archive-date= 2021-01-20 , url-status=live
{{cite web , title= The Selection Mechanism for the Unified Executive Authority Adopted by LPDF Members , website=
United Nations Support Mission in Libya The United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) is a United Nations (UN) advanced mission in Libya, created in the aftermath of the Libyan Civil War. UNSMIL is a political mission, not a military mission. The main elements of its mandate def ...
, date = 2021-01-19 , url = https://unsmil.unmissions.org/sites/default/files/adopted_selection_mechanism_eng_ara.pdf , access-date = 2021-01-20 , archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20210120225929/https://unsmil.unmissions.org/sites/default/files/adopted_selection_mechanism_eng_ara.pdf , archive-date= 2021-01-20 , url-status=live


Further reading

{{Wikinews category, 2014 Libyan conflict *
Daveed Gartenstein-Ross Daveed Gartenstein-Ross (born 1976) is an author and the founder and chief executive officer of Valens Global. In addition to his role at Valens Global, Dr. Gartenstein-Ross is a Senior Advisor on Asymmetric Warfare at the Foundation for Defen ...

''Terrorism in North Africa After Benghazi: The Jihadist Regional Outlook'' (International Centre for Counter-Terrorism – The Hague, 2013)
* Pelham, Nicolas
Libya Against Itself
(February 2015). "Libyans feel even more isolated than when the UN imposed sanctions on Qaddafi. The civil society that briefly emerged after the colonel's downfall has all but disappeared. Each activist can reel off the names of colleagues shot dead or kidnapped, often by Islamists." '' New York Review of Books'' {{Libyan Civil War (2011) {{Libya topics {{Libyan institutional transition {{Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant {{Iran–Saudi Arabia relations {{Iran–Saudi Arabia proxy conflict {{Post-Cold War African conflicts {{Portalbar, Libya, War, Current events {{Authority control ''Italic text'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Libyan Civil War (2014-2020) Libyan Crisis (2011–present) 2010s in Libya 2020s in Libya 2010s civil wars 2020s civil wars Civil wars post-1945 2010s conflicts 2020s conflicts Conflicts in 2014 Conflicts in 2015 Conflicts in 2016 Conflicts in 2017 Conflicts in 2018 Conflicts in 2019 Conflicts in 2020 Conflicts in 2021 Aftermath of the First Libyan Civil War Arab Winter in Libya Civil wars in Libya Military history of Libya Religion-based civil wars Wars involving Libya Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant in Libya Wars involving the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant Civil wars involving the states and peoples of Africa Proxy wars Iran–Saudi Arabia relations Iran–Saudi Arabia proxy conflict