TRIPOLI (Reuters) - A ceasefire has been signed between armed factions fighting over the Libyan capital, the United Nations said on Tuesday, after more than a week of violence inside Tripoli.

Dozens of people have been killed in fighting engulfing Tripoli as rival armed groups vie for power and money in the chaos persisting in the oil producer since the toppling of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.

“A ceasefire agreement was reached + signed today to end all hostilities, protect civilians, safeguard public and private property,” the U.N. mission in Libya (UNSMIL) said in a statement.

Tripoli’s only functioning airport, Matiga, would also be reopened after being closed since Friday, the United Nations said, without giving any details beyond the text of the agreement.

Commanders of some factions could be seen on pictures published by UNSMIL, while others seemed to have been absent.

It was not clear how the ceasefire would be implemented as militias have ignored previous calls to lay down arms by the U.N.-backed government which is largely powerless.

One armed faction, the 7th brigade from Tarhouna town south of the capital, which had attacked Tripoli with other factions, accepted the ceasefire, spokesman Saad al-Hammali said,

Last week, local officials brokered a ceasefire that did not hold.

There is no police or army or functioning state to enforce peace in a country ruled by armed groups who defy authority and form flexible alliances.

Tripoli is formally controlled by the internationally recognized Government of National Accord, but armed groups working with it act with autonomy. Eastern Libya is controlled by a rival administration.

“Today does not aim to fix all the Libyan capital’s security problems; it seeks to agree on a broader framework on the way to start addressing the issues,” UNSMIL quoted U.N. Special Envoy Ghassan Salame as saying.

The fighting had started because armed groups outside Tripoli had opposed a cartel of four “super militias” controlling access to state funds and foreign currency at huge discount from the central bank.

In a sign of the chaos, hundreds African migrants escaped from a detention center caught in the middle of a shootout, an aid official said.

A video posted on social media purported to show hundreds of Africans, some carrying plastic bags, walking in a long line away from the detention center.

As many as 1,900 migrants had been in the detention center but some were brought by authorities to another facility, a U.N. official said.

Some ended up on a farm. “Five people got shot (there), one got shot when we came here,” said Omar Abdullah, a migrant from Eritrea. “We didn’t have a shower for three, four days.”

Libya is a major departure point for migrants crossing the Mediterranean Sea to Europe, mainly from other parts of Africa.

Most migrants had been jailed after the Libyan coastguard intercepted their makeshift boats bound for Italy.

Some 400 prisoners also escaped on Sunday from a jail in southern Tripoli.

More than 1,800 families have been displaced from their homes since the start of the fighting, a report by the Tripoli-based ministry for displaced people said. </s> TRIPOLI (Reuters) - A ceasefire has been signed between armed factions fighting over the Libyan capital, the United Nations said on Tuesday, after more than a week of violence inside Tripoli.

Dozens of people have been killed in fighting engulfing Tripoli as rival armed groups vie for power and money in the chaos persisting in the oil producer since the toppling of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.

“A ceasefire agreement was reached + signed today to end all hostilities, protect civilians, safeguard public and private property,” the U.N. mission in Libya (UNSMIL) said in a statement.

Tripoli’s only functioning airport, Matiga, would also be reopened after being closed since Friday, the United Nations said, without giving any details beyond the text of the agreement.

Commanders of some factions could be seen on pictures published by UNSMIL, while others seemed to have been absent.

It was not clear how the ceasefire would be implemented as militias have ignored previous calls to lay down arms by the U.N.-backed government which is largely powerless.

One armed faction, the 7th brigade from Tarhouna town south of the capital, which had attacked Tripoli with other factions, accepted the ceasefire, spokesman Saad al-Hammali said,

Last week, local officials brokered a ceasefire that did not hold.

There is no police or army or functioning state to enforce peace in a country ruled by armed groups who defy authority and form flexible alliances.

Tripoli is formally controlled by the internationally recognised Government of National Accord, but armed groups working with it act with autonomy. Eastern Libya is controlled by a rival administration.

“Today does not aim to fix all the Libyan capital’s security problems; it seeks to agree on a broader framework on the way to start addressing the issues,” UNSMIL quoted U.N. Special Envoy Ghassan Salame as saying.

The fighting had started because armed groups outside Tripoli had opposed a cartel of four “super militias” controlling access to state funds and foreign currency at huge discount from the central bank.

In a sign of the chaos, hundreds African migrants escaped from a detention centre caught in the middle of a shootout, an aid official said.

A video posted on social media purported to show hundreds of Africans, some carrying plastic bags, walking in a long line away from the detention centre.

As many as 1,900 migrants had been in the detention centre but some were brought by authorities to another facility, a U.N. official said.

Some ended up on a farm. “Five people got shot (there), one got shot when we came here,” said Omar Abdullah, a migrant from Eritrea. “We didn’t have a shower for three, four days.”

Libya is a major departure point for migrants crossing the Mediterranean Sea to Europe, mainly from other parts of Africa.

Most migrants had been jailed after the Libyan coastguard intercepted their makeshift boats bound for Italy.

Some 400 prisoners also escaped on Sunday from a jail in southern Tripoli.

More than 1,800 families have been displaced from their homes since the start of the fighting, a report by the Tripoli-based ministry for displaced people said. </s> TRIPOLI (Reuters) - A ceasefire has been signed between armed factions fighting over the Libyan capital, the United Nations said on Tuesday, after more than a week of violence inside Tripoli.

Dozens of people have been killed in fighting engulfing Tripoli as rival armed groups vie for power and money in the chaos persisting in the oil producer since the toppling of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.

"A ceasefire agreement was reached + signed today to end all hostilities, protect civilians, safeguard public and private property," the U.N. mission in Libya (UNSMIL) said in a statement.

Tripoli's only functioning airport, Matiga, would also be reopened after being closed since Friday, the United Nations said, without giving any details beyond the text of the agreement.

Commanders of some factions could be seen on pictures published by UNSMIL, while others seemed to have been absent.

It was not clear how the ceasefire would be implemented as militias have ignored previous calls to lay down arms by the U.N.-backed government which is largely powerless.

One armed faction, the 7th brigade from Tarhouna town south of the capital, which had attacked Tripoli with other factions, accepted the ceasefire, spokesman Saad al-Hammali said,

Last week, local officials brokered a ceasefire that did not hold.

There is no police or army or functioning state to enforce peace in a country ruled by armed groups who defy authority and form flexible alliances.

Tripoli is formally controlled by the internationally recognised Government of National Accord, but armed groups working with it act with autonomy. Eastern Libya is controlled by a rival administration.

"Today does not aim to fix all the Libyan capital's security problems; it seeks to agree on a broader framework on the way to start addressing the issues," UNSMIL quoted U.N. Special Envoy Ghassan Salame as saying.

The fighting had started because armed groups outside Tripoli had opposed a cartel of four "super militias" controlling access to state funds and foreign currency at huge discount from the central bank.

In a sign of the chaos, hundreds African migrants escaped from a detention centre caught in the middle of a shootout, an aid official said.

A video posted on social media purported to show hundreds of Africans, some carrying plastic bags, walking in a long line away from the detention centre.

As many as 1,900 migrants had been in the detention centre but some were brought by authorities to another facility, a U.N. official said.

Some ended up on a farm. "Five people got shot (there), one got shot when we came here," said Omar Abdullah, a migrant from Eritrea. "We didn't have a shower for three, four days."

Libya is a major departure point for migrants crossing the Mediterranean Sea to Europe, mainly from other parts of Africa.

Most migrants had been jailed after the Libyan coastguard intercepted their makeshift boats bound for Italy.

Some 400 prisoners also escaped on Sunday from a jail in southern Tripoli.

More than 1,800 families have been displaced from their homes since the start of the fighting, a report by the Tripoli-based ministry for displaced people said.

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. </s> A new round of clashes between rival militias in Libya's capital left at least five people dead, the country's health ministry said, without specifying whether the casualties were civilians or fighters.

The Health Ministry’s Injured Persons' Affairs Department said on Wednesday that the number of casualties is expected to increase, as fierce clashes in Tripoli are ongoing, the Libya Observer news website reported.

Hours before the fighting reached its peak, the United Nations' mission in Libya warned against fresh violence in the capital as tensions rose between rival militias despite a September ceasefire deal.

That agreement had provided a brief respite from deadly clashes in Tripoli, where at least 117 people were killed and hundreds more injured in that last round of violence.

"The United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) strongly condemns the recent military mobilisation of forces in southern Tripoli and is monitoring the situation closely," the UN said in a statement, warning parties "against any breach of the ceasefire agreement".

UNSMIL strongly condemns the recent military mobilisation of forces in southern #Tripoli & warns parties against any breach of the ceasefire agreement, compromising stability in the capital & endangering lives of civilians & their properties. https://t.co/cUnkY2wctv pic.twitter.com/QFJg6mizUl — UNSMIL (@UNSMILibya) January 16, 2019

Fierce battles between militias from the capital and other areas in the west of the country rocked Tripoli between the end of August and early September, when the UN-brokered truce deal came into effect.

On Wednesday, witnesses reported sporadic shooting and road closures after the Tripoli Protection Force alliance warned on Facebook it would "repel an attack" by a rival group that had failed to withdraw from the capital.

The Seventh Brigade militia, from the town of Tarhuna, about 60km from the capital, has maintained its positions in Tripoli since the ceasefire agreement.

The UN said that "any party initiating a confrontation will be held fully responsible" and said it "will take action as necessary" to halt any violence.

Libya: Another year of bloody crisis caused by Western meddling Dan Glazebrook Read More »

Libya has been torn between rival administrations and a myriad of militias since the overthrow and killing of longtime leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.

The main armed groups in Tripoli say they are loyal to the internationally backed Government of National Accord (GNA), but officials have struggled to exert real control over the fighters.

The GNA announced security reforms in the wake of the bloodshed last year, aimed at curbing the power of militias in the capital.

A second administration in the east of Libya is backed by Khalifa Haftar and his self-styled Libyan National Army.

The UN is pushing for elections to help stabilise Libya, but chronic violence has delayed plans for a vote. </s> Libya’s internationally recognized government on Wednesday announced a new ceasefire deal. It could end a month of fighting between rival militias south of Tripoli that has left more than 100 dead, AFP reports. The deal was signed by representatives of the capital and the town of Tarhuna, southeast of Tripoli, the Interior Ministry said. The agreement ratified by Interior Minister Abdessalem Ashour calls for the rivals to implement a UN-brokered accord, signed on September 4. It envisages the formation of a joint security force of police from Tripoli and Tarhuna to patrol the capital’s southern suburbs. </s> Security forces and armed men are reported to have clashed at the headquarters of the National Oil Corporation (NOC) in Libya's capital, Tripoli.

An armed group is said to have stormed the building, and several blasts and gunfire could be heard, witnesses say.

Last week, the UN announced a truce between warring militias had been agreed in the capital.

A UN-backed government is nominally in power in Tripoli.

However, militias occupy much of the rest of the country.
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An NOC member of staff, who said he had jumped out of a window to flee, told Reuters news agency three or five gunmen were shooting inside the building and several people had been shot.

The NOC chairman, Mustafa Sanallah, has been safely evacuated, a witness quoted by Reuters added.

Rescue services are at the scene to treat the wounded coming out of the building.

It is not yet clear who carried out the attack.

This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly. </s> TRIPOLI: The UN's Libya mission warned against clashes in the country's capital on Wednesday as tensions rose between rival militias, four months after clashes that leftover 100 people dead. "The United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) strongly condemns the recent military mobilisation of forces in southern Tripoli and is monitoring the situation closely," it said in a statement.

"UNSMIL warns parties against any breach of the ceasefire agreement concluded on 04 and 09 September 2018."

Fierce battles between militias from the capital and from other areas in the west of the country rocked Tripoli between the end of August and early September, leaving at least 117 dead and hundreds wounded. Though the UN brokered the September truce deal that helped end the violence, witnesses reported sporadic shooting and road closures on Wednesday after the Tripoli Protection Force alliance warned on Facebook it would "repel an attack" by a rival group that had failed to withdraw from the capital.

The Seventh Brigade militia, from the town of Tarhuna, has maintained its positions in Tripoli since the ceasefire agreement. The UN said that 'any party initiating a confrontation will be held fully responsible' and insisted it 'will take action as necessary' to halt any violence.

Libya has been torn between rival administrations and a myriad of militias since the overthrow and killing of dictator Moamer Kadhafi in 2011.

The main armed groups in Tripoli say they are loyal to the internationally backed Government of National Accord (GNA), but officials have struggled to exert real control over the fighters. The GNA announced security reforms in the wake of the bloodshed last year, aimed at curbing the power of militias in the capital.

A second administration in the east of Libya is backed by strongman Khalifa Haftar and his self-proclaimed Libyan National Army. The UN is pushing for elections to help stabilise Libya, but chronic violence has delayed plans for a vote. </s> Libya's internationally recognised government Wednesday announced a new ceasefire deal to end a month of fighting between rival militias south of Tripoli that has left more than 100 dead.

The agreement was signed by representatives of the capital and the town of Tarhuna, southeast of Tripoli, the interior ministry said in a statement.

The deal ratified by interior minister Abdessalem Ashour calls for the rivals to implement a UN-brokered accord, signed on September 4, to form a joint security force of police from Tripoli and Tarhuna to patrol the capital's southern suburbs.

The Government of National Accord (GNA), in a statement, welcomed the halt to fighting that already took effect on Tuesday.

The clashes which erupted on the capital's southern outskirts on August 26 have left at least 117 dead and more than 400 injured, according to a fresh casualty toll issued by the GNA.

More than 25,000 people have been displaced by the violence.

The Libyan capital has been at the centre of a battle for influence between armed groups ever since dictator Moamer Kadhafi was ousted and killed in a NATO-backed uprising in 2011.

The latest feud has pitted armed groups from Tarhuna and Libya's third city Misrata against militia forces from Tripoli under the nominal control of the GNA. </s> BENGHAZI, LIBYA—A recent bout of heavy fighting in the capital Tripoli has come to a halt after warring militias signed a new ceasefire agreement, Libyan authorities said Wednesday. The UN-backed government said in a statement it welcomed the ceasefire agreement, which was brokered by local representatives and tribal leaders.

Fighting in Tripoli first erupted on Aug. 26 when the 7th Brigade comprised of militias hailing from Tarhouna, a town about 40 miles (60 kilometres) south of Tripoli, attacked southern neighbourhoods of the capital. The Tripoli Revolutionaries’ Brigades and the Nawasi Brigade, militias which support the UN-backed government, came to the city’s defence. Clashes flared up again last week, breaking a previous, U.N.-brokered ceasefire that began earlier this month. At least 117 people, including civilians, have been killed in the fighting and another 404 wounded. Twenty people remain missing since fighting first began there, the Health Ministry said.

In the past two days, 1,700 families have been displaced due to renewed fighting, the U.N. aid agency said Tuesday. A total of 5,000 families have sought refuge with relatives in safer parts of Tripoli and its outskirts since Aug. 26, the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said. “The clashes have led to a breakdown in basic services such as electricity and water,” U.N. Humanitarian Coordinator Maria Ribeiro said. The fighting underscored the country’s lingering lawlessness more than seven years after the uprising that toppled and later killed longtime ruler Moammar Gadhafi. Libya is currently ruled by rival authorities in Tripoli and the east, each backed by an array of militias.
The United Nations reports that a ceasefire has been agreed upon by non-governmental militias fighting in Tripoli.