After clashes broke out on Saturday in Libya’s capital between militias backed by the country’s two rival administrations, the death toll rose to 32, with 159 injured, portending a return to violence amid a long political stalemate.
The escalation threatens to destabilise Libya’s relative calm over the last two years. Following a NATO-backed uprising that toppled and killed longtime autocrat Moammar Gadhafi in 2011, the oil-rich country descended into chaos.
Mustafa Baraka, a comedian known for his social media videos mocking militias and corruption, was among those killed. According to Malek Merset, an emergency services spokesman, Baraka died after being shot in the chest.
According to the Health Ministry, hospitals and medical centers in the capital were shelled, and ambulance teams were barred from evacuating civilians, committing “war crimes.”
The Tripoli municipal council blamed the capital’s deteriorating situation on the ruling political class and urged the international community to “protect civilians in Libya.”
Residents of Tripoli were terrified as a result of the violence. Footage circulated online of houses, government facilities, and vehicles that appeared to have been damaged by the fighting. In other footage, militia forces were seen deploying, and heavy fire was exchanged across the night sky.
The mission demanded an immediate cease-fire and that all Libyan parties “refrain from using any form of hate speech or incitement to violence.”
(With inputs from agencies)
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