By Sami Zaptia.
Tripoli, 14 December 2021:
Sebha Security Directorate (SSD), aligned to the Libyan government based in Tripoli, condemned yesterday alleged pro Hafter forces for stealing 11 police vehicles on Monday.
The SSD said the four-wheel drive vehicles were about to be received by it from the Interior Ministry as part of support for the elections when, what it referred to as heavily armed ‘‘Karama militias’’ (pro Hafter) under the command of Mabrook Sahban coerced them into driving to Brak base where they were forced to give the vehicles up.
It is worth noting that the south of Libya is still the subject of a power struggle between the Libyan government in Tripoli and forces loyal to Khalifa Hafter.
Libya’s presidential elections are supposed to take place in ten days’ time. It is unclear if the incident is part of a plan by Hafter to disrupt the elections or executed locally without his direction.
Either way, it shows that on the eve of elections, the Tripoli government still does not exert control over the south of Libya.
