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Libya: Plan to Unify Army, Regain Misrata without Fighting

Brigadier General Ahmed al-Mesmari, spokesman for the Libyan National Army. (AFP)
Brigadier General Ahmed al-Mesmari, spokesman for the Libyan National Army. (AFP)
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Libya: Plan to Unify Army, Regain Misrata without Fighting

Brigadier General Ahmed al-Mesmari, spokesman for the Libyan National Army. (AFP)
Brigadier General Ahmed al-Mesmari, spokesman for the Libyan National Army. (AFP)

After nearly three years of fierce war in eastern and southern Libya, the Libyan National Army, led by Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, breathed a sigh of relief and entered a new phase.

Now, the army is focusing of the two largest cities after Benghazi – Tripoli and Misrata – which are home of dangerous militias, extremist groups and modern weapons.

Haftar is counting on the military to work under the umbrella of the army, in order to avoid clashes, destruction and fighting. In this regard, Army spokesperson Brigadier General Ahmed al-Mesmari told Asharq Al-Awsat that contacts were underway to avoid such a fate.

He said that the key to the entry of the army into Tripoli would start from the town of Zawia, west of the capital, and that there would be no fighting in Misrata.

“We have given a six-month deadline so that politicians can resolve their differences,” he stressed.

“The deadline expires in March. After that we will have a word to save the country.”

On whether Haftar would accept assuming the presidency of the state based on popular demand, Mesmari said: “There are no objections… And certainly this demand came from suffering and our mission is to end these suffering.”

Libya’s army has been devastated and divided since the NATO campaign in support of the demonstrations to oust longtime leader Moammar al-Gadhafi.

In 2014, Haftar announced the “Dignity Battle” to reunite the army and fight extremist groups. Despite an international ban on arming his forces, the commander has been able to expel extremists from large parts of the country, especially in the east.

His entry into the capital and the powerful city of Misrata remains suspended, but there appears to be a plan in the works.

According to Mesmari, regaining control over Tripoli would begin with the town of Zawia.

Forces loyal to the head of Libya’s Presidential Council, Fayez al-Sarraj, are currently fighting other rival groups to spread their influence over the city.

“We are now working to establish the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces General Command, and the Supreme Security Council, as well as to integrate the military bodies in Tripoli and Benghazi into one system,” Mesmari said.

Asked about the steps that would be taken by the army if divisions persisted, the Libyan official replied firmly: “We have given a six-month deadline for the politicians to resolve their differences. The deadline expires in March and then we will have a word to save the country... Citizens believe that the security of Libya is achieved by the army.”

As for the next measures to be taken if the deadline ended without a resolution, Mesmari did not rule out a military option.

“If the army is forced to assume political responsibility by itself, it will be a burden, but it is necessary. If there are general demands that Haftar take over the helm of the state, there will be no objection,” he explained.

In the victories of the army in the eastern and southern regions, Mesmari finds solace for those who sought in difficult circumstances to liberate Benghazi from the clutches of extremists.

“The battle has, for now, lasted about four consecutive years. It was initially a tactical battle inside Benghazi. It was very difficult,” he recalled.

He noted that the abundance of military equipment owned by terrorist groups in Benghazi was the result of a large alliance between al-Qaeda and the Muslim Brotherhood.

“ISIS appeared in 2014, and they all fought the armed forces,” he said.

As for the way in which the army plans to enter the capital peacefully, Mesmari explained: “In recent months, after the battles of Sabratha, Zuwara, and others in the west of Tripoli, we have managed to separate the battle of western Tripoli from Tripoli itself.”

Regarding the army’s entry into the city of Misrata, he added: “By God’s will, there will be no fighting either… It is a national Libyan city that was kidnapped. Now the national movement has started to work actively. I salute the nationalists in Misrata, where operations have started against terrorism and terrorists. We highly value this.”

Troops have moved into Misrata in the past weeks and launched a massive campaign against militant groups, seizing weapons and explosives.

“Through these powerful actions against extremist groups, Misrata has contributed to the decline in terrorist operations in Benghazi,” Mesmari noted.

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Sudan Arms Surge Raises Alarms Over Civilian Protection

Sudan says it destroyed 50,000 explosive remnants of war (AFP)
Sudan says it destroyed 50,000 explosive remnants of war (AFP)
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Sudan Arms Surge Raises Alarms Over Civilian Protection

Sudan says it destroyed 50,000 explosive remnants of war (AFP)
Sudan says it destroyed 50,000 explosive remnants of war (AFP)

A surge in deadly violence has gripped the quiet northern town of al-Dabbah, exposing the growing threat posed by the rampant spread of weapons across Sudan in the absence of effective state control.

At least eight people were killed over just two days, four in tribal clashes and four others in a street fight within the town.

The latest bloodshed comes amid a broader climate of insecurity, where gunfire has become a common soundscape. In nearby Omdurman, social media users circulated graphic footage of a young man shot dead in cold blood after resisting an attempt to steal his mobile phone.

Reports of killings and injuries from arguments and brawls settled with bullets have flooded social platforms, painting a grim picture of lawlessness. Armed robbery gangs are said to roam freely, terrorizing civilians with no security forces in sight.

As Sudan’s brutal conflict enters its third year, guns have become as commonplace in towns and villages as household items. What was once settled with fists or sticks is now resolved through the barrel of a gun.

Tens of thousands of civilians have reportedly armed themselves, citing the need for self-defense amid state collapse and the disintegration of law enforcement.

Even before the war erupted, estimates suggested around 2.2 million firearms were circulating in Sudan’s conflict zones. Since then, the figure is believed to have ballooned, with unofficial estimates placing the current number at nearly six million, most acquired privately or informally.

In al-Dabbah, local authorities confirmed tribal clashes erupted between members of the Kababish and Hawaweer tribes, leaving four dead and others wounded before security forces intervened. The following day, a quarrel between vehicle drivers escalated into a gunfight, claiming four more lives.

Meanwhile, in the Omdurman district of Al-Hattana, gunmen fatally shot a man while attempting to snatch his phone, another grim scene that social media brought into public view.

Weapons have now flooded Sudan’s markets. Eyewitnesses and former security officials say that under the brief control of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Khartoum, firearms were openly sold on the street like vegetables, with prices starting at just 20,000 Sudanese pounds, roughly $10.

Security experts say this gun chaos is not a sudden phenomenon but the product of years of unchecked proliferation.

Under former President Omar al-Bashir, weapons were distributed to tribal militias to fight opposing groups. With the eruption of nationwide conflict, arms have spread from the traditional battlegrounds of Darfur and Kordofan to cities in Sudan’s north, east, and center.

Legal analyst Moaz Hadra warned of the growing dangers of “random arming,” saying some groups are being trained and armed outside Sudan to destabilize the country. “Why are these groups being trained abroad instead of within Sudan’s military institutions?” he asked when speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat.

Officials Downplay Risk, Citing Self-Defense

Despite mounting violence, Sudanese security and military officials continue to downplay the threat. They argue that most weapons are held by civilians for self-protection against RSF attacks or roaming bandits. “Should a citizen wait helplessly while armed men storm his home?” one commentator asked rhetorically.

Brigadier General Fath al-Rahman al-Toum, a police spokesman, dismissed fears of total lawlessness, saying that gun crackdowns are ongoing and that firearms possession is being treated as an exceptional situation under extraordinary circumstances.

Others, like Brigadier General Saleh Abdullah, insist that once the war ends, collecting the weapons will be “very easy,” noting that most guns were distributed under strict regulations to reserve forces and can be retrieved using serial numbers registered to each piece. “The army has always managed its weapons according to clear protocols,” he said.

Major General Mujahid Ibrahim added that Sudan’s porous borders, particularly in the west, have made it easier for arms to enter the country unchecked, exacerbating the crisis. Still, military officials say weapons loaned to civilians can be recovered thanks to detailed logs and unique identifiers.

Yet, as al-Dabbah and Omdurman reel from fresh bouts of violence, the gap between official reassurance and on-the-ground chaos continues to widen. With Sudan’s civil war showing no sign of abating, the unchecked spread of guns threatens to tear apart what remains of the country’s fragile social fabric.