An armed group loyal to the Libyan Government of National Unity, headed by Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh, announced the start of a sit-in in Misrata due to the delay in the payment of its financial dues, at a time when Zawiya witnessed a cautious calm.
The group is part of the state-funded Stabilization Support Forces (SSF), also known as the Joint Settlement, and its sit-in comes as calm continues in the city of Zawiya, west of the capital Tripoli, after deadly clashes left one person dead and 22 injured, according to reports by the Libyan Ambulance and Emergency Service.
The head of the city’s council of elders and elders in Zawiya, Mohammed Akhmaj, announced that a ceasefire agreement had been reached after clashes at dawn last Friday.
He pointed out that the agreement was made by local efforts without any role for security or government agencies, and the Zawiya Security Directorate confirmed that the security situation in the city is proceeding normally now.
Residents of Misrata demanded the dismissal of the city’s security chief and the reconsideration of the decision to establish the Joint Operations Force and change its leadership, against the backdrop of the recent storming of the Public Prosecutor’s Office.
They staged evening demonstrations in front of the court complex to support the independence of the judiciary and to reject interference that affects the course of justice.
The UN mission called for an immediate cessation of hostilities and urged the authorities to ensure the protection and safety of civilians.
In another context, the Turkish Ministry of Defense announced the implementation of air exercises on helicopters off the coast of Libya, with the participation of a frigate, within the framework of a joint exercise that includes Libya along with Azerbaijan and North Macedonia last week.
The Joint Force was established by a government decision in January 2021 and is supervised by Abdul Ghani al-Kikli, known as “Gheniwa”, one of the most influential faction leaders in Tripoli, and has been implicated in crimes including unlawful killing, torture, interception of migrant and refugee routes, and forced labor.
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