Libya Alert (UPDATE) GNU Minister shifted to Italy for treatment after assassination attempt near Tripoli’s Janzour, per February 12 reports; reiterates volatility of security environment in Tripoli
Current Situation:
- The Government of National Unity’s (GNU) Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs, Adel Jumaa, was reportedly transported to Italy following an assassination attempt, per February 13 reports.
- On February 12, several official bodies issued statements condemning the attack, including the Presidential Council (PC), the High Council of State (HCS), the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), and the US Embassy in Libya.
- The PC called on the Government of National Unity (GNU) to launch an investigation to bring the perpetrators “to justice” and stated that it would not tolerate illegal attempts to hamper the security and stability in Libya.
- Reports from February 11 indicate that voice messages by GNU Prime Minister Abdel Hamid al-Dbeibah’s nephew, Ibrahim al-Dbeibah, were recently leaked, allegedly exposing ties between the GNU and the Russian Africa Corps.
- Unconfirmed reports indicated that the messages were leaked by Jumaa. Another unconfirmed report stated that Ibrahim al-Dbeibah denied his involvement in the assassination attempt.
Source: Presidential Council; LANA
Assessments & Forecast:
This follows multiple reported assassination attempts in Tripolitania on GNU-affiliated figures since 2022 including GNU Prime Minister Abdel Hamid al-Dbeibah, GNU’s Minister of Justice Halima Ibrahim Abdel Rahman, and Dbeibah’s nephew and advisor, Ibrahim Dbeibah. Despite the identities of the perpetrators and their motives remaining unknown, it is likely that this latest attack was politically motivated, stemming from Jumaa’s reportedly close relationship with Dbeibah and his role in overseeing coordination between the GNU Prime Minister’s office and other ministries. This assessment is strengthened by unconfirmed reports which indicate that Jumaa was in possession of documents that were allegedly damaging to the GNU’s image and was thus targeted to prevent him from potentially leaking them. FORECAST: Regardless, this incident highlights the volatility of the security environment in Tripoli at the present time. At the same time, despite the potential this attempted assassination holds to heighten inter-militia tensions, no such instances of inter-militia clashes or militia mobilization have been reported either in Janzour or other parts of Tripoli as of the time of writing. Therefore, wide-scale inter-militia clashes in Tripoli following the assassination attempt on Jumaa remain unlikely at the current juncture.
Recommendations:
- Avoid nonessential travel to Tripoli and Misrata due to political instability and the risk of a rapid deterioration of security conditions stemming from inter-militia tensions. Avoid all travel to the wider Tripolitania region. It is advised to travel in Libya only with a trained security detail. Contact us at Operations@max-security.com or +44 20-3540-0434 for itinerary and contingency support plans.
- Remain cognizant that due to the multiple zones of influence and inter-militia tensions in Tripoli, travelers are liable to encounter checkpoints manned by different local militias. When encountering a security checkpoint, comply with the instructions of security personnel.
Current Situation:
- The Government of National Unity’s (GNU) Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs, Adel Jumaa, was reportedly transported to Italy following an assassination attempt, per February 13 reports.
- On February 12, several official bodies issued statements condemning the attack, including the Presidential Council (PC), the High Council of State (HCS), the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), and the US Embassy in Libya.
- The PC called on the Government of National Unity (GNU) to launch an investigation to bring the perpetrators “to justice” and stated that it would not tolerate illegal attempts to hamper the security and stability in Libya.
- Reports from February 11 indicate that voice messages by GNU Prime Minister Abdel Hamid al-Dbeibah’s nephew, Ibrahim al-Dbeibah, were recently leaked, allegedly exposing ties between the GNU and the Russian Africa Corps.
- Unconfirmed reports indicated that the messages were leaked by Jumaa. Another unconfirmed report stated that Ibrahim al-Dbeibah denied his involvement in the assassination attempt.
Source: Presidential Council; LANA
Assessments & Forecast:
This follows multiple reported assassination attempts in Tripolitania on GNU-affiliated figures since 2022 including GNU Prime Minister Abdel Hamid al-Dbeibah, GNU’s Minister of Justice Halima Ibrahim Abdel Rahman, and Dbeibah’s nephew and advisor, Ibrahim Dbeibah. Despite the identities of the perpetrators and their motives remaining unknown, it is likely that this latest attack was politically motivated, stemming from Jumaa’s reportedly close relationship with Dbeibah and his role in overseeing coordination between the GNU Prime Minister’s office and other ministries. This assessment is strengthened by unconfirmed reports which indicate that Jumaa was in possession of documents that were allegedly damaging to the GNU’s image and was thus targeted to prevent him from potentially leaking them. FORECAST: Regardless, this incident highlights the volatility of the security environment in Tripoli at the present time. At the same time, despite the potential this attempted assassination holds to heighten inter-militia tensions, no such instances of inter-militia clashes or militia mobilization have been reported either in Janzour or other parts of Tripoli as of the time of writing. Therefore, wide-scale inter-militia clashes in Tripoli following the assassination attempt on Jumaa remain unlikely at the current juncture.
Recommendations:
- Avoid nonessential travel to Tripoli and Misrata due to political instability and the risk of a rapid deterioration of security conditions stemming from inter-militia tensions. Avoid all travel to the wider Tripolitania region. It is advised to travel in Libya only with a trained security detail. Contact us at Operations@max-security.com or +44 20-3540-0434 for itinerary and contingency support plans.
- Remain cognizant that due to the multiple zones of influence and inter-militia tensions in Tripoli, travelers are liable to encounter checkpoints manned by different local militias. When encountering a security checkpoint, comply with the instructions of security personnel.
We plan to have some technical staff from Europe travel to Libya soon. Do you assess that these recent events are a substantial shift in the risk profile?
The latest incident is unlikely to destabilize the security situation in Libya. Benghazi is unlikely to be impacted in any capacity, given its distance from Tripoli and the fact that it is under the control of the rival Libyan National Army (LNA). Similarly, although Misrata is located closer to Tripoli, it is unlikely to be impacted, with there being no indications that the assassination attempt fanned tensions in the city. Tensions may be marginally higher in Tripoli, given that it is the seat of the Government of National Unity (GNU) and the base for several GNU-affiliated militias. That said, since no inter-militia clashes or significant mobilization of militias took place in Tripoli in the hours and days immediately following the attempted assassination, they are unlikely to occur at this time.
Having said that, other more general concerns, including personal disputes and competition for control, influence, and territory, continue to be catalysts for inter-militia clashes in Tripoli, which may erupt on very short notice. For these reasons, we advise all visitors to implement security arrangements and coordinate with the Tripoli authorities.
MAX’s Protection team has on-ground capabilities in Tripoli and can provide operational support to your staff if needed.