Assassination of Militia Leader Sparks Chaos in Tripoli

Tripoli descended into chaos Monday following the reported assassination of Abdel Ghani al-Kikli, known as “Gheniwa,” the powerful commander of Libya’s Stability Support Authority (SSA). Al-Kikli was allegedly killed during a meeting at the base of the 444th Combat Brigade in the capital’s Abu Salim district. The assassination, reportedly ordered by 444th Brigade commander Mahmoud Hamza, has reignited fears of full-scale conflict in a country already fractured by years of political and armed division.

His death triggered intense clashes across Tripoli, with tanks deployed and civilian aircraft evacuated from Mitiga Airport. The Interior Ministry has urged residents to stay indoors as rival militias mobilize.

The violence comes amid rising tensions between Libya’s eastern and western power blocs. Despite a 2020 ceasefire, the nation remains divided—between General Khalifa Haftar’s forces in the east and the Tripoli-based government in the west, led by interim Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah. Political instability, disputes over control of sovereign institutions, and a lack of a unified budget continue to plague the country.

International observers, including the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), have called for calm and urged all factions to avoid further escalation. UNSMIL warned that any sustained violence could derail political reconciliation and urged a return to dialogue.

The renewed instability now casts a shadow over Libya’s tentative economic recovery. The International Monetary Fund recently forecast a rebound in 2025, driven by rising oil production. However, major oil fields in the east have faced repeated shutdowns amid political disputes, and a return to widespread conflict could jeopardize Libya’s primary source of revenue and foreign exchange—its oil exports—threatening both domestic stability and regional energy markets.

By Tom Kool for Oilprice.com

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