Libya: Deployment of Libyan armed groups to a suburb of Tripoli

#other countries : Armed groups deployed on Tuesday in a suburb of the Libyan capital Tripoli, forcing schools to close and raising concerns at the United Nations when the presidential election is expected to be postponed on Friday.

The United Nations Assistance Mission in Libya (MANUL) said in a statement: ,Concerned about the development of the security situation in Tripoli,,

,The mobilization of allied forces from different groups creates tension and increases the risk of conflict that may escalate into conflict.,, he warned.

,Any disagreement on political or military issues must be resolved through dialogue, especially at a time when the country is going through a difficult and complicated electoral process that can lead to a peaceful transition.,, stressed the United Nations mission.

Earlier today, images posted on social media showed a vehicle armed with machine guns and a tank near the university campus and roads blocked by sand dams and guarded by gunmen.

>>> Read also: Libya: Forced demonstrations by armed groups in Tripoli

Tripoli University had to close ,Due to security tensions around the campus in Ain Zara and Fornajo districts,, according to one of his teachers.

According to local media, several schools and high schools in these neighborhoods in Tripoli’s southern suburbs have also decided to close their doors as a precaution.

However, according to evidence gathered by AFP, there were no reports of any conflict or fire.

And the situation eased with the reopening of most roads to traffic in the afternoon and a small presence of armed men, an AFP correspondent said.

Officials have not commented on the armed mobilization, which comes three days ahead of a crucial presidential election scheduled for December 24. But the postponement of the election is no longer a doubt, even though no official announcement has been made in this regard.

>>> Read Also: Libya: Armed conflict in southern city

The deployment also comes days after the dismissal of a senior military officer, which was opposed by several armed groups, fueling tensions and already sparking armed movements in Tripoli.

The Libyan capital is under the control of a myriad of armed groups affiliated with the ministries of defense – a portfolio without a minister – and interior within the interim government.

Libya has been trying, since the fall of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, to extricate itself from a decade of chaos marked in recent years by the existence of rival powers in the country’s east and west.

The presidential election was meant to represent the culmination of a UN-sponsored peace process to close this chapter of division and instability.

Security remains uncertain, with sporadic clashes between armed groups in the North African country, despite fighting ending in 2020 between the established government in Tripoli and the forces of a formerly strong Caliph Haftar.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *