The Western Libya campaign was a military campaign initiated on 4 April 2019 by the Operation Flood of Dignity (Arabic: عملية طوفان الكرامة) of the Libyan National Army (LNA), which represents the Libyan House of Representatives, to capture the western region of Libya and eventually the capital Tripoli held by the United Nations Security Council-recognised Government of National Accord (GNA). The GNA regained control over all of Tripoli in June 2020 and the LNA forces withdrew from the capital, after fourteen months of fighting.
The offensive resulted in over 2,468 dead. It began on 4 April 2019, 10 days before the Libyan National Conference for organising presidential and parliamentary elections in Libya had been planned to take place, and five days after the first session of the 2019 Libyan local elections was held successfully. As a result of the offensive, United Nations Support Mission in Libya postponed the forthcoming Libyan National Conference.
War crimes and crimes against humanity that take place during the conflict are covered by the mandate of the International Criminal Court investigation in Libya under United Nations Security Council Resolution 1970.
Background
Following the overthrow and death of Muammar Gaddafi and the fall of the Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya in 2011, political and military control in Libya were in a state of flux. Fighting between different factions escalated in 2014, with the House of Representatives, based in the eastern city of Tobruk, being the main political force claiming to be the legitimate government of Libya. The House of Representatives was supported by Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar's Libyan National Army. In early 2016 a rival government, the Government of National Accord (GNA), was established in Tripoli with the backing of the UN and several countries. There were multiple attempts to negotiate between the two governments and organise new elections throughout 2017 and 2018. Haftar and GNA Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj met and spoke with each other twice for negotiations, in November 2018 and February 2019. The Supreme Judicial Council of Libya, created in 2011, retained its structure as a single national body despite the political split, and in 2019 went through Libya-wide "transparent elections" and a "peaceful transfer of power".
Face-to-face consultations with 7,000 Libyans and online consultations with 130,000 Libyans during 2018–2019, coordinated by the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) and the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue, led to a plan to hold the Libyan National Conference in Ghadames during 14–16 April 2019 in order to recommend to the Libyan House of Representatives and High Council of State methods and dates for holding 2019 presidential and parliamentary elections in Libya. The first batch of the 2019 municipal elections in Libya took place on 30 March 2019. Other aims of the conference, to which representatives of all political factions were invited, included creating a unity government between Sarraj and Haftar and proposing a framework for creating a new constitution. In March 2019, the advance of Haftar's forces in southern Libya during the preceding few months started to cause concern for the organisers of the conference. Ghassan Salamé, head of UNSMIL, stated on 4 April 2019 that the conference would be postponed because of the outburst of military events, but that it would be held
"as soon as possible because we do not have the right to allow this historic opportunity to be corrupted. At the same time, we cannot ask for the presence of the Conference, with the [cannons] firing and the raids ongoing, without making sure that all those who are willing to respond to this historic national duty from all regions of the country are able to ensure their safety and freedom by expressing their opinion."
On 4 April 2019, an audio recording was published on Facebook by Marshal Haftar declaring war on the UN-recognised Government of National Accord and announcing that the LNA would militarily take over the capital city Tripoli. In response, the government in Tripoli, led by Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj and the Presidential Council ordered a general mobilisation of all of its security forces. On 6 April, Prime Minister Sarraj, as supreme commander of the Libyan Army, created a joint operations room under the western military region commander, Major General Osama al-Juwaili, to coordinate their operations.
International (non-UNSMIL)
From early 2015, during the years prior to the April 2019 attack on Tripoli, Haftar received long-term support from French authorities, including French "advisers, clandestine operatives, and special forces" helping the LNA's military operations in the east and south of Libya. Three of the French special-forces soldiers died in a helicopter accident near Benghazi in July 2016. Bloomberg News stated that the al-Sarraj administration had long-term support from Italian authorities. The Economist argued that a May 2018 meeting between al-Sarraj and Haftar, hosted by French president Emmanuel Macron in the context of French-Italian rivalry with regards to Libya, "undermined" the efforts of Ghassan Salamé in facilitating the organising of the Libyan National Conference by Libyans. The Economist pointed to the Greenstream pipeline natural gas pipeline and French and Italian crude oil interests in Libya as significant factors in the two countries' relations with Libyan political forces in 2018.
Bloomberg News described Russia, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates as "backers" of Haftar. Prior to the LNA attack on Tripoli, the Saudi Arabian government gave twenty million US dollars to the LNA in support of the attack, "to buy the loyalty of tribal leaders, recruit and pay fighters, and other military purposes."
On 27 December 2019, Bloomberg News reported that Turkey intended to deploy its navy to protect Tripoli and send troops to help train GNA forces. Additionally Turkmen rebel groups fighting in northern Syria were expected to transfer to Tripoli. By 29 December, 650 Syrian National Army personnel (also called: Syrian National Army) had arrived in Libya and were stationed on the eastern frontline in Tripoli.
Timeline
2019
April
On the first day of the offensive, 4 April 2019, the LNA captured Gharyan. Haftar urged pro-GNA militias to surrender, saying "Those who lay down their weapons are safe, and those who raise the white banner are safe." Interior Minister Fathi Bashagha condemned the offensive, declaring that "We will not be subdued by any use of force by any side or any person. And if anyone is willing to use force against us we're ready for sacrifice but we will not give up on democracy which we've always wanted from the beginning."
On 5 April, the Libyan National Army stated that they had captured Qasr bin Ghashir, Wadi al-Rabie and Suq al-Khamis. LNA then marched toward Tripoli from several directions, reaching the city's outskirts after receiving orders to capture the city. The LNA reported asserting control over the town of ‘Aziziya. The LNA briefly captured a key checkpoint, known as Gate 27, on the road between Tripoli and Tunisia, but withdrew overnight. The GNA interior ministry ordered all of its forces to be placed on maximum alert. The United Nations Security Council scheduled an emergency meeting on the same day to discuss the recent developments in Libya. Later in the day the LNA reported capturing the village of Suq al-Khamis, located 20 kilometres (20,000 m) south of Tripoli, after clashes with pro-GNA militias. Meanwhile, the leader of the LNA, Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, met with UN Secretary General António Guterres in the former's office in Tobruk. During the late hours of the day a battle broke out over Tripoli International Airport, in which LNA forces were able to successfully capture the airfield and defend it from a GNA counter-attack.
On 6 April, the LNA air force declared western Libya a no-fly zone and began to engage GNA targets, after GNA jets targeted LNA positions in Mizdah and Suq al-Khamis. Haftar issued orders against using the LNA's aircraft in battle. The LNA reported recapturing Gate 27, as well as asserting control over Salah al-Din and Ain Zara neighbourhood in southern Tripoli, after pro-GNA militias surrendered to the LNA. By nightfall forces loyal to the GNA launched a counterattack on the airport in southern Tripoli, which was repelled by the advancing LNA, according to Haftar.
A US military contingent and a contingent of Indian police peacekeepers were evacuated from Tripoli.
Colonel Mohamed Gnounou, the GNA military spokesman, announced that they started a counteroffensive to reclaim the territories in Tripoli taken by the LNA, dubbed "Operation Volcano of Rage". The UN mission in Libya asked for a two-hour ceasefire in south Tripoli to evacuate civilians.
In an official declaration, the Ministry of Health of the GNA declared their casualties at 21 dead and 27 wounded.
The LNA conducted an airstrike against a GNA position in southern Tripoli, the Bab al-Azizia military compound, the first LNA airstrike to target a part of the city. It is thought that Haftar has a superior air force, supplied by the United Arab Emirates, although the Libyan Air Force is nominally loyal to the GNA.
By the end of the day, an LNA spokesman, Major General al-Mesmari, reported that the LNA reached the Fernaj neighbourhood of Tripoli and are advancing through the eastern neighbourhoods of the city.
As part of the operation Volcano of Anger launched by GNA, Misrata militias mobilized on the frontlines of Tripoli to prevent the LNA from capturing it.
LNA forces under Hifter conducted an airstrike against the GNA-held Mitiga International Airport in Tripoli, Libya's last functioning civilian airport, on 8 April. The closure left Misrata Airport, located 200 km (125 miles) to the east down the coast, as the nearest airport for Tripoli residents. UN special representative for Libya Ghassan Salamé condemned the attack as "a serious violation of international humanitarian law." Wolfram Lacher, a scholar of Libya at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs, said that the strike showed Hifter's willingness "to reduce Tripoli to rubble so that he can rule Libya, which is the only option he has left now anyway." Flights were temporarily suspended; by 9 April, a coalition of local and regional militias and GNA forces had pushed Hifter's forces from the airport, and flights resumed, with clashes continuing in multiple locations on the southern fringes of Tripoli. On 8 April, the LGA said 19 of its soldiers died in recent days in the fighting in and around Tripoli, while a spokesman for the GNA's said that "fighting in the south of the capital had killed at least 25 people, including fighters and civilians, and wounded 80."
From the beginning of April 2019 to mid-May 2019, southern Tripoli's Yarmouk military camp/barracks had changed hands between the GNA and the LNA at least five times.
The LNA used BM-21 Grad MRLs against GNA positions in retaliation for GNA airstrikes.
According to Libya al-Ahrar TV as cited by The Libya Observer, a team of French "military experts" arrived in Gharyan and created a "control room to monitor the attack on Tripoli".
The GNA reported bombing LNA targets within the LNA-held town of Gharyan. The LNA announced that they have captured the 4th Brigade Headquarters in the town of Azizya after fierce fighting with the GNA. The UNHCR attempted to evacuate detained refugees from the Qasir bin Gashir detention center, after it became stuck in crossfire between the two sides. Reports suggest most detainees were transferred to Sekah Road detention center, but around 120 people were left behind and were still in the Qasir bin Gashir detention center by the morning. During the afternoon, the LNA air force conducted an airstrike against GNA targets near Tripoli airport. By sunset, LNA spokesperson, Brig. Gen. Ahmed al-Mismari, stated that the LNA have secured al-Yarmouk camp and are advancing toward the Dabali military camp. He also reported that the LNA have arrested pro-GNA "african mercenaries" at Tripoli Int'l Airport. Shortly thereafter, al-Mismari stated that the LNA have shot down a GNA Aero L-39 Albatros that attempted to relocate from Misrata to Tripoli.