Libya: Closed Consultations
Tomorrow morning (16 May), Security Council members will hold closed consultations to discuss the situation in Libya following a recent escalation of violence between armed groups in the capital Tripoli. The meeting was requested by the UK (the penholder on Libya), France, and the US. Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Libya and Head of the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) Hanna Serwaa Tetteh is expected to brief.
Background
On Monday (12 May), fighting erupted between rival militias in Tripoli following the killing of Abdel Ghani al-Kikli, the head of the Stability Support Authority (SSA), which is an armed group affiliated with Libya’s Presidential Council. Kikli was reportedly killed in a facility operated by the 444 Brigade, a rival militia. The group is aligned with Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Mohammed Dbeibah, who leads the Tripoli-based Government of National Unity (GNU). (There are two rival governments in Libya: the UN-recognised GNU in Tripoli and the eastern-based Government of National Stability [GNS], which splintered from the GNU in 2022 and is backed by the self-styled Libyan National Army [LNA] under the command of General Khalifa Haftar. The Presidential Council is based in Tripoli and was established under the 2015 Libyan Political Agreement to serve as the country’s head of state.)
While it appears that the SSA quickly stood down, fighting continued between the 444 Brigade and Radaa, another militia that does not support Dbeibah and was apparently concerned that it would be targeted after Dbeibah announced the end of “parallel security institutions”—that is, armed groups that are not part of the government’s regular security forces—in a meeting with security officials held on Tuesday (13 May). The GNU announced a ceasefire that day but clashes continued yesterday (14 May). The violence—which reportedly drew in fighters from outside of the city—took place in densely populated urban areas and resulted in at least eight civilian fatalities.
The UN has expressed significant concern about the recent outbreak of violence in Tripoli. Yesterday, the UNSMIL issued a statement that condemned the “rapid escalation of violence” and warned that “the situation could quickly spiral out of control”. It urged all parties to ensure that civilians are protected and to “engage without delay in serious, good-faith dialogue to resolve this conflict peacefully”, underscoring the mission’s “readiness to provide its good offices to facilitate dialogue and bring an end to the fighting”.
Today (15 May), UNSMIL issued another statement, in which the mission said that it was monitoring the “fragile truce” in Tripoli and intends to launch “a dedicated mechanism” to support and sustain it.
Also today, through his spokesperson, Secretary-General António Guterres issued a statement taking note of the recent truce and expressing sadness at the civilians killed in the recent fighting. He echoed UNSMIL’s statement by registering concern about the escalatory nature of the fighting, noting that it had drawn in armed groups from outside of Tripoli. Guterres also reiterated the UN’s readiness to provide “good offices to facilitate agreement on a path towards lasting peace and stability in Libya”.
Tomorrow’s Meeting
At tomorrow’s meeting, Council members are expected to express concern about the outbreak of violence and loss of life in Tripoli, urge de-escalation, and call for calm and restraint. They are also likely to welcome the ceasefire and emphasise the importance of maintaining it.
Members will be interested in Tetteh’s analysis of the clashes, including the political dynamics among the GNU and the factions involved in the fighting. Some members may be interested in learning more about the relative strength of the different armed groups, their relationship with the government, and the risk of a relapse into violence. They may also want to hear an assessment of whether additional armed actors outside of Tripoli—including those with ties to the GNS—could join the conflict and potentially threaten the 2020 ceasefire agreement between the GNU and the LNA.
Some members may also inquire about the mechanism that UNSMIL is launching to support the ceasefire, including how it will be staffed and what its precise responsibilities will be. Additionally, they may ask what the Council can do to support the work of the mission and Tetteh in addressing the current crisis. More broadly, members may reiterate the need for a Libyan-led and inclusive political process resulting in elections that will unify the country’s divided government and help to restore political, security, and economic stability.
Tomorrow’s meeting takes place in the midst of a busy month for the Council regarding the situation in Libya. Today, the Council convened for the biannual briefing of International Criminal Court (ICC) Prosecutor Karim Asad Ahmad Khan on the ICC’s Libya-related activities. Later this month, the Council is also scheduled to vote on a resolution reauthorising member states to inspect vessels on the high seas off the coast of Libya that they have reasonable grounds to believe are violating the arms embargo. (For background and more information, see the brief on Libya in our May 2025 Monthly Forecast.)
