Libya’s Radaa Force, Government Negotiate Amid Escalating West Tripoli Tensions

Recent security tensions in western Libya have reignited direct contact between the interim Government of National Unity and the Radaa Force under the command of Abd al-Raouf Karar. The Presidential Council has also intervened, seeking to integrate the powerful armed group into its internal security apparatus.

Renewed Clashes and Public Protests

Armed confrontations have resumed between armed groups based in the Libyan cities of Zawiya and Surman. Simultaneously, residents of the Tripoli district of Souq al-Juma’a — under Radaa Force control — ended their popular protest movement. According to informed Libyan sources speaking to Erem News, behind-the-scenes negotiations with the Tripoli government aim to restore calm across western Libya.

Radaa Force’s Strategic Reconsolidation

Following last year’s failure to bring major armed factions under the authority of Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh’s government in Tripoli, the Radaa Force withdrew from central city positions. It regrouped around Souq al-Juma’a and Mitiga Airport, where its main camp is located. Despite multiple warnings issued last year demanding its surrender and withdrawal, the force maintained its presence.

Sources confirm the Radaa Force continues to fortify its position at the airport entrance, with dozens of soldiers stationed at checkpoints.

Electricity Crisis as Catalyst for Mobilization

Libyan authorities are pursuing renewed dialogue with Karar specifically to counter an angry popular movement targeting his government over the electricity crisis. Negotiations succeeded in ending protests by residents of Souq al-Juma’a and Tajoura. Their demonstrations — triggered by power outages — were formally suspended after a Sunday decision to remove earth barriers. That decision followed meetings and consultations between protest representatives and several Tripoli-based leaders, who collectively opted for “wisdom and reason,” resulting in the barrier removal.

Internal Rifts and Accusations

The Souq al-Juma’a Social Council accused the four local neighborhoods of “selling the struggle.” In response, the council issued a statement on Tuesday rejecting defamation campaigns and false rumors targeting its members, including accusations of treason or bribery.

Presidential Council’s Integration Proposal

The Presidential Council has entered formal discussions on the matter. A meeting took place between Abdullah al-Tarabulsi, head of Libya’s General Security Agency, and Presidential Council President Mohamed al-Menfi. During the session, a proposal was advanced to incorporate the Radaa Force under the Ministry of Interior — currently headed by Emad al-Tarabulsi, Abdullah’s brother — with the stated objective of “unifying oversight of security agencies and strengthening institutional discipline,” according to reports circulating among officials.

Broader Power Struggles in Tripoli

Last year’s escalating tensions between the Radaa Force and the Government of National Unity — alongside the 444th Brigade — cast a shadow over internal power balances in western Libya. This confrontation forms part of a wider struggle for control over Tripoli’s security institutions, strategic infrastructure, and detention centers.

Radaa Force as a State Within a State

For years, the Radaa Force operated as a de facto state within the state, exercising control over Mitiga Airport, the airbase bearing the same name, and the prison facility where numerous alleged human rights violations — now under investigation by the International Criminal Court — reportedly occurred.

May 2025 Clashes and Dbeibeh’s Countermeasures

After armed clashes erupted in May 2025 between the 444th Brigade and Stability Support Forces loyal to Abdul Ghani al-Kikli (“Ghnewa”), Dbeibeh sought to gradually curtail the Radaa Force’s political and military influence in the capital. His efforts included attempts to reintegrate prisons and parallel security bodies under formal state authority.

Documented Human Rights Violations

The Radaa Force has long been associated with unlawful conduct. As early as 2021, Amnesty International highlighted its involvement in enforced disappearances, torture, arbitrary detention, extrajudicial killings, and forced labor.

The International Criminal Court has stated that Libyan official Khaled al-Hishri colluded with other Radaa Force commanders — including Osama al-Masri and Abd al-Raouf Karar — in managing the detention system at Mitiga Prison in Tripoli. Alleged crimes committed against hundreds of detainees there spanned the period from 2015 to 2020.