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Libyan Parties Continue Ghadames Talks amid UN, US Optimism

Members of the Libyan Joint Military Commission pose for a photo in Ghadames, a desert oasis some 465 kilometers southwest of the capital Tripoli, on November 3. (AFP)
Members of the Libyan Joint Military Commission pose for a photo in Ghadames, a desert oasis some 465 kilometers southwest of the capital Tripoli, on November 3. (AFP)
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Libyan Parties Continue Ghadames Talks amid UN, US Optimism

Members of the Libyan Joint Military Commission pose for a photo in Ghadames, a desert oasis some 465 kilometers southwest of the capital Tripoli, on November 3. (AFP)
Members of the Libyan Joint Military Commission pose for a photo in Ghadames, a desert oasis some 465 kilometers southwest of the capital Tripoli, on November 3. (AFP)

Rival Libyan military officers have agreed on a road map for implementing a ceasefire deal reached last month, UN acting envoy to Libya Stephanie Williams said Tuesday.

The announcement came after a meeting of a joint military commission to discuss the implementation of the deal opened Monday on home soil for the first time.

The sides agreed to "establish a military subcommittee to oversee the withdrawal of military forces to their respective bases and the departure of foreign forces from the front lines," Williams said.

The commission also decided to "meet in Sirte as soon as possible" and make the central coastal city its headquarters, Williams added.

Talks are taking place in the remote desert oasis of Ghadames, some 465 kilometers (290 miles) southwest of the capital Tripoli and near Libya's borders with both Algeria and Tunisia -- far from the power bases of either side.

Williams said that a meeting on reunifying the Petroleum Facilities Guards (PFG) would be held on November 16 at the Brega terminal, while air links would be restored "immediately" with Ghadames and with Sebha in the south.

The commission also urged the UN Security Council to "quickly adopt a binding resolution to implement the Geneva ceasefire agreement", Williams added.

The talks coincided with a meeting in Morocco between representatives of the east-based parliament and High Council of State ahead of the Libyan Dialogue Forum scheduled for Tunisia on November 9.

Meanwhile, the United States’ embassy in Libya welcomed the “courageous efforts of Libyan participants in the Joint Military Commission (JMC) consultations in Ghadames to implement the October 23 ceasefire agreement, realize Libyan aspirations to de-escalate the conflict and begin to take concrete steps toward the ultimate departure of foreign forces and mercenaries.”

“This important trajectory will continue when a broad and representative group of Libyans gathers in Tunis beginning on November 9 for the UN-facilitated Libyan Political Dialogue Forum (LPDF), which aims to finalize a roadmap to national elections through which all Libyans would exercise their sovereign and inalienable right to choose their future through democratic means,” it said in a statement.

“The Embassy is encouraged that the overwhelming majority of Libyans are working in good faith to seize these historic opportunities for Libya to restore its sovereignty and achieve a brighter future,” it continued.

“Regrettably, however, a small group of Libyans, in concert with certain external actors, is instead seeking to undermine the UN-facilitated dialogue, plunder Libya’s wealth, and prioritize personal ambitions over the well-being of the nation,” it stated.

“The Embassy stands with those Libyans who reject violence, oppose foreign manipulation, and come together in peaceful and patriotic dialogue. We remind those who would stand in the way of progress that they remain at risk of sanctions.”

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Arab World

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.