Tripoli—The head of the Government of National Unity (GNU) Abdulhamid Dbeibeh vowed Tuesday to dissolve any armed entity exists outside the Ministries of Interior and Defenses.
Speaking at a meeting of the Council of Ministers Dbeibeh said “we will never again allow any party to practice arrests, issue sentences, or control prisons outside the law.” It is not clear if he will do so only within the limits of the capital Tripoli proper or the policy will cover all militias that are spread all over western Libya.
This in many ways is a declaration of war on the same groups that he worked closely with them since he came to power in early 2021, by providing financial support from the public budget to them.
Mr. Dbeibeh affirmed that the ‘security operation’ carried out by the government in Tripoli on 12 May and lasted for two days “represents an actual beginning to restore state authority within the capital, without partnership with any parallel force.” He pledged to officially dissolve “any entity outside the Ministries of Defense and Interior.”
He stressed that “the regular security institutions are the only ones authorized to maintain security and implement the law,” warning that “those who believe they are above the state will find themselves confronted by an army and police supported by law and legitimacy.”
“We will officially address the Presidential Council to dissolve any security agencies not affiliated with the Ministry of Interior. After Eid al-Adha, we will announce the security arrangements, which constitute the state’s project, and we cannot back down from them in any way,” he said.
On Wednesday, the Presidential Council in coordination with the GNU established an interim committee for security and military arrangements in the capital Tripoli.
The committee shall be responsible for “preparing and implementing a comprehensive plan for security and military arrangements in the capital in accordance with applicable legislation and approved political references,” the decision stipulated.