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Cautious Calm Returns to Libya’s Gharyan After Armed Clashes

GNU Chief of Staff General Mohamed Haddad meets with the Libyan mayors. (Chief of Staff)
GNU Chief of Staff General Mohamed Haddad meets with the Libyan mayors. (Chief of Staff)
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Cautious Calm Returns to Libya’s Gharyan After Armed Clashes

GNU Chief of Staff General Mohamed Haddad meets with the Libyan mayors. (Chief of Staff)
GNU Chief of Staff General Mohamed Haddad meets with the Libyan mayors. (Chief of Staff)

A temporary calm has settled over the city of Gharyan in northwestern Libya following armed clashes involving medium-caliber weapons between two factions aligned with Tripoli authorities.

Violent clashes erupted in the city of Gharyan, south of Tripoli, between a militia loyal to Ghnewa al-Kakli, commander of the Stability Support Apparatus that is affiliated with the Presidential Council, and the 444 Combat Brigade, which is part of the Government of National Unity (GNU).

The fighting was triggered by the arrest of eight members of the 444 Combat Brigade from Gharyan by the 555 Brigade, a force under al-Kakli's command. The 444 Combat Brigade is led by Mahmoud Hamza, the head of military intelligence in western Libya.

The clashes have ceased for now, but tension remains high as armed militias continue to vie for control and expand their influence on the ground.

In an update on security matters, GNU Chief of Staff General Mohamed Haddad, met with mayors from Zuwara, Nalut, Jadu, Yefren, and Al-Qalaa, along with several officers and military personnel, to discuss security issues in these areas.

Haddad assured the mayors that the military supports the legitimate demands of the people in these regions and is committed to helping stabilize them and all of Libya.

In a separate development, the UN mission in Libya stated that its head, Hanna Tetteh, accompanied by Deputy Special Representative and Resident Coordinator Aeneas Chuma, met with a group of African ambassadors in Tripoli on Wednesday as part of their initial round of consultations with the diplomatic corps.

The mission’s statement explained that the meeting, hosted by the Ghanaian Ambassador in Tripoli, focused on the work of the mission and provided an update on the Advisory Committee's activities.

It also reviewed regional challenges influenced by the developments in Libya.

The consultations emphasized enhancing coordination between the United Nations and the African Union to strengthen cooperation on shared issues, including regional security, migration, and supporting national reconciliation in Libya.

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Lebanon President Rejects ‘Seeking Foreign Help’

Aoun meets the Maronite Foundation student delegation. Photo: Lebanese presidency
Aoun meets the Maronite Foundation student delegation. Photo: Lebanese presidency
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Lebanon President Rejects ‘Seeking Foreign Help’

Aoun meets the Maronite Foundation student delegation. Photo: Lebanese presidency
Aoun meets the Maronite Foundation student delegation. Photo: Lebanese presidency

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on Wednesday said seeking foreign backing against domestic rivals was “unacceptable” and urged unity to confront regional challenges, while Prime Minister Nawaf Salam pledged to press ahead with rebuilding efforts and ensure the state alone controls weapons.

Aoun, speaking to student delegations from the Maronite Foundation in the World and the Beirut Manarati Association, said his administration was working to restore trust between citizens and the state, as well as with the international community.

“Our aim is to put the state back on the right track, continue the economic reforms we began after winning parliament’s confidence, combat corruption, strengthen judicial independence, reform the banking sector and lift banking secrecy,” Aoun said.

He stressed that “no one is above the law in fighting corruption – all taboos have fallen in this regard, and the decision has been made.”

The president warned that Lebanon’s current regional challenges could only be met with unity. “Seeking foreign help against one another at home is unacceptable and has harmed the nation. We must learn from past experiences,” he said.

Aoun added that several reforms had already been passed, with key issues moving in the right direction. “We will address outstanding files calmly and through dialogue to find appropriate solutions,” he said, urging Lebanese to prioritize national interest above all else and seize the opportunities created by renewed Arab and international confidence in Lebanon.

“Our decision is to go towards a state that stands alone, and we are committed to implementing that decision,” he said.

Separately, PM Salam told the Maronite Foundation delegation that Lebanon was “not where we want it to be” as it faced political challenges, economic hardship and the legacy of years of instability.

“We are determined, government and people, to rebuild. This will only happen through an ambitious reform agenda and ensuring the state alone has the right to possess weapons, a process we have already begun,” he said.

Salam said the government was laying the foundations for a “respected, sovereign state” serving all citizens at home and abroad. Rebuilding, he said, was not limited to infrastructure and institutions but also to restoring trust between the state and its people, and between Lebanese at home and in the diaspora.

He called for the role of the diaspora to be expanded beyond remittance-sending to active participation in Lebanon’s political, economic and cultural life, and in representing its voice internationally.

“Your financial support has been crucial, but you are much more than that,” Salam said. “We want you as active partners in Lebanon’s journey to the future – welcome to your homeland today and always.”