Latest news with #StabilisationSupportApparatus
Yahoo
04-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Dozens of bodies found in militia-run sites in Libya's Tripoli; UN alarmed
The United Nations has raised grave concerns following the discovery of dozens of bodies in areas of the Libyan capital Tripoli previously controlled by a powerful militia, the Stabilisation Support Apparatus (SSA), whose leader was slain in clashes last month. United Nations rights chief Volker Turk said on Wednesday that his office was 'shocked' by evidence of severe human rights violations at detention sites run by the SSA, a group once led by Abdel-Ghani al-Kikli, who was killed during an eruption of fighting in mid-May in Tripoli. 'Our worst-held fears are being confirmed: dozens of bodies have been discovered at these sites, along with the discovery of suspected instruments of torture and abuse, and potential evidence of extrajudicial killings,' Turk said in a statement. Investigators were informed that 10 charred bodies were found at the SSA's base in Abu Salim, while another 67 corpses were recovered from hospital refrigerators at Abu Salim and Al Khadra facilities. A suspected burial site was also reported at the Tripoli Zoo, which had been under SSA control. The identities of the victims remain unknown. Turk called for the immediate sealing of all affected locations to preserve evidence, demanding international access to ensure among Tripoli's most influential militia commanders, had come into conflict with rival groups before his death. His SSA was officially tied to the Presidential Council under the UN-recognised Government of National Unity (GNU), formed in 2021. His assassination last month triggered fierce fighting across Tripoli, where several were killed and dozens wounded. Schools closed, a citywide curfew was imposed, and the UN Support Mission in Libya urged all parties to halt hostilities and protect civilians. With no unified national force, Tripoli remains at the mercy of competing armed factions, many of which operate with impunity. The UN continues to push for dialogue and a ceasefire mechanism as part of wider efforts to stabilise the country.
Euronews
04-06-2025
- General
- Euronews
Bodies found in area of Libya's capital run by armed group, UN says
Dozens of bodies have been discovered in detention facilities in an area of Libya's capital controlled by an armed militia, the UN said on Wednesday, expressing its concern about "gross human rights violations" including torture and enforced disappearances. The UN human rights office said it was shocked by the discoveries at the official and unofficial detention sites run by the Stabilisation Support Apparatus (SSA) force in Tripoli. The group's commander, Abdel-Ghani al-Kikli, was killed in fighting between heavily armed militias in the city in mid-May that left at least six dead, according to officials. Subsequent clashes between state security actors and armed groups sparked protests calling for an end to violence in Tripoli, resulting in the deaths of several civilians and a police officer, as well as major damage to infrastructure, including hospitals, the UN said. The UN rights office said it later received information on the excavation of 10 charred bodies at the SSA headquarters in the Abu Salim neighbourhood, with another 67 bodies discovered in refrigerators in the Abu Salim and Al Khadra hospitals. It also cited reports of a burial site at the Tripoli Zoo that was run by the SSA. "Our worst held fears are being confirmed: dozens of bodies have been discovered at these sites, along with the discovery of suspected instruments of torture and abuse, and potential evidence of extrajudicial killings," UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk said in a statement. His office said the identities of the bodies were unclear. Türk called on Libyan authorities to seal the area to preserve evidence and said there needed to be accountability for the killings. He said the UN should be granted access to the sites to document rights violations. The SSA is an umbrella group of militias that rose to become one of the most powerful groups in western Libya, which has a history of atrocities during the nation's long-running conflict. It is affiliated with the Presidential Council that took power in 2021 with the Government of National Unity (GNU) of Abdulhamid Dbeibah in a UN-backed process. The group's late leader, al-Kikli, who was known as "Gheniwa", has been accused by Amnesty International of war crimes and other rights violations over the past decade. The clashes in Tripoli last month were the latest bout of violence in the largely lawless North African country, which has been plunged into chaos and division since 2011 following the 2011 overthrow and killing of longtime ruler Muammar Gaddafi. Libya has been divided for years between rival administrations in the east and west, each backed by armed groups and foreign governments. Currently, it is governed by Dbeibah's internationally recognised government in the west and by the administration of Prime Minister Ossama Hammad in the east.
Al Jazeera
04-06-2025
- General
- Al Jazeera
Dozens of bodies found in militia-run sites in Libya's Tripoli; UN alarmed
The United Nations has raised grave concerns following the discovery of dozens of bodies in areas of the Libyan capital Tripoli previously controlled by a powerful militia, the Stabilisation Support Apparatus (SSA), whose leader was slain in clashes last month. United Nations rights chief Volker Turk said on Wednesday that his office was 'shocked' by evidence of severe human rights violations at detention sites run by the SSA, a group once led by Abdel-Ghani al-Kikli, who was killed during an eruption of fighting in mid-May in Tripoli. 'Our worst-held fears are being confirmed: dozens of bodies have been discovered at these sites, along with the discovery of suspected instruments of torture and abuse, and potential evidence of extrajudicial killings,' Turk said in a statement. Investigators were informed that 10 charred bodies were found at the SSA's base in Abu Salim, while another 67 corpses were recovered from hospital refrigerators at Abu Salim and Al Khadra facilities. A suspected burial site was also reported at the Tripoli Zoo, which had been under SSA control. The identities of the victims remain unknown. Turk called for the immediate sealing of all affected locations to preserve evidence, demanding international access to ensure accountability. Al-Kikli, among Tripoli's most influential militia commanders, had come into conflict with rival groups before his death. His SSA was officially tied to the Presidential Council under the UN-recognised Government of National Unity (GNU), formed in 2021. His assassination last month triggered fierce fighting across Tripoli, where several were killed and dozens wounded. Schools closed, a citywide curfew was imposed, and the UN Support Mission in Libya urged all parties to halt hostilities and protect civilians. With no unified national force, Tripoli remains at the mercy of competing armed factions, many of which operate with impunity. The UN continues to push for dialogue and a ceasefire mechanism as part of wider efforts to stabilise the country.
The National
20-05-2025
- Politics
- The National
Dozens of bodies found at Libyan hospital controlled by Tripoli militia
Fifty-eight bodies have been found in a mortuary refrigerator at a Tripoli hospital that was under the control of a militia involved in clashes in the Libyan city last week. The Interior Ministry for the UN-backed government that controls western Libya said the deaths had not been reported to authorities and that 35 of the dead were unidentified. They were discovered in Abu Salim Accident Hospital in the densely populated Abu Salim neighbourhood, the ministry said in a statement on Monday night. Photos of corpses on beds, their faces blurred, were posted online by the ministry. Some of the dead had burns. 'So far, 23 corpses have been examined, and all necessary legal procedures have been taken, including documenting data and collecting samples,' the ministry said. The statement said the bodies had been stored 'for a period of time' without any notification to police. Abu Salim was the territory of an armed group known as the Stabilisation Support Apparatus, whose leader Abdelghani Al Kikli – known as Ghaniwa – was killed last week, leading to days of fighting between militias. Mr Al Kikli's death led to the defeat of his group by armed factions aligned with Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah, who heads the UN-backed government. The clashes killed at least eight civilians, according to the UN, but Libyan authorities are yet to release an official number. A ceasefire came into effect on Wednesday. The corpses in the hospital refrigerator were the second batch found in recent days. On Saturday, officials said nine bodies had been discovered in cold storage at Al Khadra hospital, another facility in Abu Salim controlled by the Stabilisation Support Apparatus. A criminal investigation is under way, the Interior Ministry said in a post on X. Mr Dbeibah said on Saturday that his goal is to eliminate all militias and that it was an 'ongoing project'. He said in a televised address that armed groups must align themselves with the state. 'We will welcome all those who choose to stand with the state. We will sideline those who resort to blackmail and corruption,' he said. Certain militias 'had grown excessively, to the point of controlling the entire political, financial, economic, and even social landscape', he added. His government on Monday posted a video online showing bulldozers knocking down a camp that had been under the control of the Stabilisation Support Apparatus. Authorities said the area would be turned into a national park. Tripoli residents have taken to the streets in recent days to protest against the violence and demand Mr Dbeibah's resignation over the fighting. Libya is split between the UN-recognised government in Tripoli and a rival administration in the east controlled by the family of Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, commander of the Libyan National Army. The country was divided after a Nato-backed revolt in 2011 that toppled and killed longtime leader Muammar Qaddafi. Despite relative calm in recent years, clashes periodically break out between armed groups vying for territory. At least 55 people were killed in August 2023 during fighting between two factions in Tripoli.
South China Morning Post
19-05-2025
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
At least 58 unidentified corpses found in Libyan hospital, interior ministry says
At least 58 unidentified corpses were found on Monday in a hospital in Tripoli that was under the control of a militia whose leader was killed last week, the interior ministry said. Advertisement The corpses were found in a morgue fridge in Abu Salim Accidents Hospital in the densely populated Abu Salim neighbourhood, following a report from the hospital, the ministry said in a statement. Pictures of corpses with numbers and censored faces were posted by the ministry, showing remains in various states of decomposition on steel carriers and beds. Some of the remains were burnt. An investigation was under way to establish the identities of the deceased. 'So far, 23 corpses have been examined, and all necessary legal procedures have been taken, including documenting data and collecting samples,' the ministry said. Abu Salim was home to a militia known as the Stabilisation Support Apparatus, whose chief, Abdulghani Kikli, widely known as Ghaniwa, was killed in unconfirmed circumstances last Monday. Advertisement Kikli's killing led to the sudden defeat of the SSA by factions aligned to internationally recognised Prime Minister Abdulhamid al-Dbeibah of the Government of National Unity (GNU).
