Libyan ‘Al-Fateh’ Revolution’s Shy Celebrations Drowned in Tripoli Mass Violence

Smoke rises during heavy clashes between rival factions in Libya's Tripoli, 28 August 2018, Reuters
Smoke rises during heavy clashes between rival factions in Libya's Tripoli, 28 August 2018, Reuters
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Libyan ‘Al-Fateh’ Revolution’s Shy Celebrations Drowned in Tripoli Mass Violence

Smoke rises during heavy clashes between rival factions in Libya's Tripoli, 28 August 2018, Reuters
Smoke rises during heavy clashes between rival factions in Libya's Tripoli, 28 August 2018, Reuters

Shy celebrations commemorating the September 1 Revolution spread over several Libyan cities with events being held in southwestern Sabha, Tripoli suburbs, Sirte, and at what is dubbed the ‘cradle of revolution,’ Benghazi.

Parallel to celebration, a joint statement issued by the US, UK, France and Italy calling for an immediate end to deadly violence in Tripoli did not lead to a ceasefire, neither did mediating-efforts spent by top tribesmen help end the six-day outbreak of clashes at the capital.

Colonel Muammar Gaddafi, in his last speech near Bab El Azizia in 2011, promised a fiery chaos that today is seen evident in Tripoli being the playground of mounting violence as the notion of an unregulated and massively armed public becomes a reality.

At least 39 people, including civilians, have died in rival militia clashes in Tripoli in recent days.

A UN-backed government is nominally in power in the capital, but militias occupy much of the rest of the country.

The 1969 Libyan coup d'état, also known as the al-Fateh Revolution or the 1 September Revolution, was a military insurgency carried out by the Free Officers Movement, a group of military officers led by Gaddafi, which led to the overthrow of King Idris I.

Marchers in rallies on Saturday carried portraits of Gaddafi’s son and successor in line, Saif al-Islam, despite his whereabouts remaining unknown.

All and above the fact of all symbols belonging to Gaddafi's time in rule being wiped out, and his relatives living in exile, some reminiscent Libyans waved the colonel’s signature green flag.

It was not surprising after seven years of frustration and bitter war that the 49th anniversary of the Gaddafi-led revolution was celebrated with some nostalgia. Libyans today grieve for the fleeting sense of stability they enjoyed prior to Gaddafi’s overthrow.

Ever since 2011--the year during which Gadhafi’s regime was toppled--the country has spiraled down into sporadic divisions, conflicts and battle for influence between armed forces.

Fired arms rocked Tripoli’s hopes and nostalgia as indiscriminate missile firings rained over military and civilian targets. The city’s airport was targeted with the bombardment, disrupting flights.

The clashes in Tripoli which erupted earlier this week have endangered the lives of local residents and an estimated 8,000 refugees, asylum seekers and migrants, Doctors Without Borders, known by the French acronym MSF, said in a statement.

Conflicted feelings filled Tripoli’s air, with some supporting the February 17 revolt that put an end to Gadhafi’s power –seen as the root cause of all national distress- and others denouncing the revolution for all the bloodshed mayhem it brought about.



Sudan’s Paramilitary Unleashes Drones on Key Targets in Port Sudan

Smoke billows after a drone strike on the port of Port Sudan on May 6, 2025. (Photo by AFP)
Smoke billows after a drone strike on the port of Port Sudan on May 6, 2025. (Photo by AFP)
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Sudan’s Paramilitary Unleashes Drones on Key Targets in Port Sudan

Smoke billows after a drone strike on the port of Port Sudan on May 6, 2025. (Photo by AFP)
Smoke billows after a drone strike on the port of Port Sudan on May 6, 2025. (Photo by AFP)

Sudan’s paramilitary unleashed drones on the Red Sea city of Port Sudan early Tuesday, hitting key targets there, including the airport, the port and a hotel, military officials said. The barrage was the second such attack this week on a city that had been a hub for people fleeing Sudan's two-year war.

There was no immediate word on casualties or the extent of damage. Local media reported loud sounds of explosions and fires at the port and the airport. Footage circulating online showed thick smoke rising over the area.

The attack on Port Sudan, which also serves as an interim seat for Sudan's military-allied government, underscores that after two years of fighting, the military and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces are still capable of threatening each other’s territory.

The RSF drones struck early in the morning, said two Sudanese military officials, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the media.

Abdel-Rahman al-Nour, a Port Sudan resident, said he woke up to strong explosions, and saw fires and plumes of black smoke rising over the port. Msha’ashir Ahmed, a local journalist living in Port Sudan, said fires were still burning late Tuesday morning in the southern vicinity of the maritime port.

The RSF did not release any statements on the attack. On Sunday, the paramilitary force struck Port Sudan for the first time in the war, disrupting air traffic in the city’s airport, which has been the main entry point for the county in the last two years.

A military ammunition warehouse in the Othman Daqna airbase in the city was also hit, setting off a fire that burned for two days.

When the fighting in Sudan broke out, the focus of the battles initially was the country's capital, Khartoum, which turned into a war zone. Within weeks, Port Sudan, about 800 kilometers (500 miles) to the east of Khartoum, turned into a safe haven for the displaced and those fleeing the war. Many aid missions and UN agencies moved their offices there.

The attacks on Port Sudan are also seen as retaliation after the Sudanese military earlier this month struck the Nyala airport in South Darfur, which the paramilitary RSF has turned into a base and where it gets shipments of arms, including drones.