Prime Minister Abdulhamid al-Dbeibah and his interim Government of National Unity (GNU) has sought to consolidate power by splurging on social benefits and infrastructure, yet Libya remains splintered by armed factions vying for power. The fighting was triggered when one faction, the Special Deterrence Force, seized the commander of a rival unit, the 444 Brigade, as he tried to travel through Mitiga airport. The airport - which like other key state assets are coveted by armed factions - is controlled by the Special Deterrence Force. No political leader looks able to bring the armed factions under tighter state control or deliver a lasting solution to the wider conflict. As Dbeibah and some factions seek to increase their control in Tripoli, commander Khalifa Haftar remains entrenched in Libya's east.

Source: Libya Today August 17, 2023 13:30 UTC