traffickers

Of Michela Mercuri

Source: The Subsidiary
For about five days some areas of the Libyan capital have been the scene of serious clashes between militias, despite some attempts at a truce, they don't seem to want to stop. Yesterday a mortar shell hit a hotel near our embassy. Internal settlement of accounts, as has already happened other times in the last year, or something more serious that could jeopardize the stability of the Government of National Accord (Gna) by Fayez al-Serraj, historical ally of Italy? And what our government's options might be?

First of all, it is necessary to shed light on the possible causes of this resurgence.

The tension between the various groups present in Tripoli can be attributed to various reasons. First of all, the decline in migratory flows from the Tripoli coasts - which guaranteed income to some groups present in the area - has cut a good slice of the cake from which many militias ate, satiating theirs “economic appetites”. Put another way, keeping armed groups under control with the proceeds of illegal trafficking is now much more difficult and this could constitute a risk for the stability of the UN-branded government. Proof either way, prima, the Seventh Brigade, a militia stationed in the cities of Tarhuna, south of the capital, it moved against formations loyal to Serraj, accusing them of being corrupt; Then, as reported by some agencies, Wrong Badi, controversial figure of the Libyan Dawn operation - who in 2014 forced the newly elected government to take refuge in Tobruk - he spread a message on Facebook saying he was ready to enter Tripoli at the head of the al Samoud brigade. As an old popular saying goes “hunger drives the wolf out of its den” and so it was. Read More