Tripoli clashes kill six after militia chief’s assassination

Tripoli, Libya’s capital, plunged into crisis, on Tuesday, May 13, 2025, after the death of Abdel Ghani al-Kikli, a prominent militia leader in Libya.

The clashes reportedly resulted in at least six fatalities.

Known by his alias “Gheniwa,” Kikli commanded the Support Force Apparatus (SSA), one of Tripoli’s most influential armed groups.

The group is based in the crowded Abu Salim neighborhood and has been accused of grave human rights abuses, particularly against asylum seekers.

Kikli was reportedly killed on Monday night at the headquarters of the 444th Combat Brigade, a unit within the Libyan army.

This information was confirmed by a source in one of the country’s security forces and shared with Al Wasat television.

His death follows increasing tensions with rival militias, especially those linked to Misrata, another powerful city in western Libya.

The SSA, under Kikli’s command, operated within the framework of the Presidential Council, which came into power in 2021.

This was supposedly as part of a UN-mediated initiative that also saw the formation of the Government of National Unity (GNU) led by Abdul Hamid Dbeibah.

Despite the legitimacy granted by the UN-backed process, armed conflict has continued to plague Tripoli and other regions.

Following news of Kikli’s death, heavy fighting erupted overnight. Gunfire rang out through the city center and across various districts, creating widespread panic.

The Emergency Medicine and Support Centre later confirmed that six bodies had been recovered from areas surrounding Abu Salim, one of the main sites of the clashes.

In response to the violence, Libya’s interior ministry issued an urgent warning to civilians, advising them to remain indoors for their safety.

This advisory triggered chaos across Tripoli, with drivers fleeing conflict zones at high speeds, some honking in alarm.

Eyewitnesses reported intense gunfire and even visual sightings of what appeared to be red tracer rounds lighting up the night sky.

Residents in neighborhoods such as Abu Salim and Salah Eddin confirmed hearing sustained rounds of gunfire.

The UN mission in Libya called for an immediate cessation of hostilities and a return to calm.

It emphasized the importance of safeguarding civilian lives, warning that attacks on non-combatants and civilian infrastructure could be prosecuted as war crimes.

Kikli’s militia, the SSA, has long faced serious accusations from international human rights organizations.

Both Amnesty International and the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights (ECCHR) have identified the group as a major player in the systemic abuse of detainees in Libya.

A December 2024 report by a UN Security Council panel of experts described Kikli as a central actor in Libya’s volatile power dynamics.

These include the financial underpinnings of armed groups through widespread corruption.

Under Kikli’s leadership, the SSA has been accused of committing extrajudicial executions, torture, and numerous other violations of international law.

He was named in a 2022, 189-page ECCHR complaint to the International Criminal Court, listing him among possible co-perpetrators of crimes against humanity.

In particular, he was listed for orchestrating widespread abuse of migrants and refugees.

Diana Eltahawy stated in a 2022 report that Kikli’s militia has long operated with impunity.

Eltahawy is Amnesty International’s deputy regional director for the Middle East and North Africa.

She pointed out that for over a decade, his forces carried out enforced disappearances, torture, and unlawful killings in Abu Salim.

She called for an investigation into his alleged crimes and a fair trial if sufficient evidence is found.

Despite these allegations, Kikli continued to operate publicly.

In March, a Libyan activist shared a photo on X (formerly Twitter) of Kikli visiting a GNU minister, Adel Juma, at a hospital in Rome.

Juma had been recovering from a February 12 attack in Tripoli.

Libya remains a crucial route for asylum seekers attempting to reach Europe.

Human rights organizations have consistently reported that migrants in Libya fall prey to militia groups and human traffickers.

Thousands, primarily from sub-Saharan Africa, are detained indefinitely in overcrowded centers where they endure horrific conditions, including abuse and torture.

Since the 2011 NATO-backed uprising that overthrew Muammar Gaddafi, Libya has experienced deep instability.

The country effectively split in 2014 into rival eastern and western governments.

Although a ceasefire in 2020 halted large-scale fighting, political reconciliation remains elusive.

Armed groups continue to vie for dominance and control over Libya’s considerable oil wealth, leading to periodic outbreaks of violence such as the recent clashes in Tripoli.