Libya’s Government of National Unity (GNU), headed by Abdulhamid al-Dbeibah, has yet to comment on reports about the activities of armed militias loyal to it in the capital Tripoli amid concerns of a new flareup in fighting.
Witnesses and local sources said the “Hadiqa squadron” of Abdel Ghani al-Kakali, known as “Ghniwa”, was on alert in Tripoli’s Abou Sleem area.
Local media also said all militias and armed groups in the city were on high alert.
The “Libyan Institution for Human Rights” said it had received reports of the continued mobilization of armed groups that are loyal to the GNU in Tripoli.
It expected armed clashes to erupt in residential areas in the coming days.
In a statement overnight Saturday, it warned all parties against the “excessive use of arms.”
It also called for keeping the people away from armed disputes and the struggle for power between rival groups.
It urged the GNU, its interior and defense ministries and head of the Presidential Council, Mohammed al-Menfi, to act to defuse the tensions.
Moreover, it warned that “all armed groups have fortified themselves in residential areas so that civilians could be used as human shields.”
Armed clashes had erupted in Tripoli on Thursday. No one was killed or injured in the fighting. The interior ministry has deployed police to secure the city.
