TRIPOLI – While in Cernobbio the premier of the Libyan government Dbeibah was giving his speech at the Ambrosetti Forum, in Tripoli for a few hours the battle between some militias resumed violently, two groups allied for months against General Haftar but now in rivalry for the control of sectors of the Libyan capital. The new clashes broke out at dawn on Friday: the militias are the most important in Tripolitania, the “444th Brigade” and the “Ghnewa” militia. The 444th Brigade is technically under the Ministry of Defense and is commanded by Captain Mahmoud Hamza, a militia follower of Salafist Islam, a former member of the “Special Deterrence Forces” (Rada), a powerful Salafi brigade supported by the Ministry of the Interior to fight the terrorism and organized crime.
After the Tripoli war of 2019-2020, Hamza formed the 444th Brigade, which quickly became one of the main militias in western Libya, very active in the fight against human trafficking and oil smuggling in the city of Bani Walid. and in the area south-east of Tripoli.
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The Ghanewa militia, on the other hand, is headed by Abdelghani al Kikli, one of the most powerful and well-known militiamen in circulation, former head of the “Abu Salim Central Security Force”, a former militia formed after 2011 in one of the most populous neighborhoods of Tripoli . Today Ghnewa is part of the “Stability Support Authority” (ASS), a security apparatus created in January 2021 that reports to the Presidential Council.
The Nova agency heard an analyst, Jalel Harchauoi, research fellow of the think tank Clingendael Institute, according to which the “444” enjoys the support of Ankara, but according to the Turks themselves must moderate its ambitions. “Turkey supports the 444th Brigade, but rather than entering the battle it is trying to avoid a war in the Tripoli war.”
The commander of the Tripoli military district, General Abdel Basset Marwan, accused the 444th Brigade of not respecting orders and having participated in important military meetings without being entitled to it. In a video posted on Facebook and quoted by the “Nova”, General Marwan blamed Captain Mahmoud Hamza for opening an independent account where 10 million dinars (about 2 million dollars) would have been paid, in violation of the rules: the 444th Brigade would not have a responsibility independent finance company, but would report to the Tripoli Military District.
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