5 – 11 February: Despite talks of the 5 + 5 Joint Military Committee (JMC) clashes continue

Feb 12, 2020 | Libyan actors

Throughout the last week there have been limited and sporadic clashes on the southern Tripoli frontlines despite the nominal truce between the Government of National Accord (GNA) aligned forces and the Libyan National Army (LNA) forces remaining in place. LNA forces attempted to advance on al-Gawiya in southern Garabulli, and the LNA-aligned Tarhouna 9th Brigade claimed to have taken over the al-Rawageh area. In contrast, anti-LNA forces belonging to the 166 Brigade claimed to have launched an attack on an LNA operations room in the Qasr Ben Ghashir area of Tripoli.

On 3 February, LNA head Khalifa Haftar issued a decree assigning Major General Abdullah al-Hamali as the commander of the Zawiyya Military Zone. The decision also cancelled the Zawiyya Operations Room, with its personnel and equipment to be transferred to the Zawiyya Military Zone.

On 6 February, LNA-affiliated airstrikes targeted a group of militants at their hideout in the Marbat, in Dahar al-Hamar on the outskirts of Derna, as the LNA’s Omar Mukhtar Operation Room announced a status of full alert.  According to the Omar Mukhtar Operation Room, the group was preparing an attack on their units in Derna.

On 8 February, the United Nations (UN)-mediated 5 + 5 Joint Military Committee (JMC) meeting in Geneva concluded after 6 days of talks. The meetings between five senior military delegates from the GNA and five from the LNA aimed to codify the truce on the southern Tripoli frontlines. The UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) highlighted that there was “a consensus” that the truce announced on 12 January should remain in place and violations of it should be avoided. Both sides expressed their support to ongoing exchanges of prisoners and returns of mortal remains. The UN has stated that the delegations are now set to reconvene on 18 February.