15 May – 21 May: LNA bans shipments to all western maritime ports

May 21, 2019 | Libyan actors

On 20 May, the Chief of Staff of the Libyan National Army (LNA) Naval Forces, Major General Faraj al-Mahdawi, declared a state of emergency with a ban on shipments to all western maritime ports. The ban is likely in response to the Government of National Accord (GNA) aligned militias receiving a shipment of armed vehicles at Tripoli port on 18 May. The shipment was transported from Turkey via the Moldavian ship Amazon, and its arrival was openly publicised (and even televised).

In the last week, reports suggest limited territorial changes between the Libyan National Army (LNA) and GNA-aligned forces in Tripoli. Clashes continue in Ain Zara, al-Hira, Espiaa, al-Hadba al-Khadra, Abu Salim, al-Twaisha, Tripoli International Airport (TIA), and Wadi al-Rabia areas. According to the UN, at least 510 people have been killed in the Tripoli conflict so far, with at least 75,000 people displaced.