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Libya’s High council of State backs Tripoli truce, calls for unity

WorldView · Rose Achieng · September 15, 2025
Libya’s High council of State backs Tripoli truce, calls for unity
Demonstrators demand the overthrow of Libya's Government of National Unity, headed by Abdulhamid al-Dbeibah, in Martyrs' Square in Tripoli on May 16, 2025. PHOTO/REUTERS
In Summary

The deal, brokered and guaranteed by Turkish intelligence, took immediate effect.

Libya’s High Council of State has welcomed a new truce in Tripoli, describing it as a step toward strengthening state authority and restoring stability in the country.

The truce, reached on Saturday, was signed between the UN-recognised Government of National Unity (GNU) and the rival Special Deterrence Force, also known as Radaa.

It ends a prolonged power struggle over control of Mitiga Airport, Tripoli’s only functioning airport, as well as a nearby prison. Under the agreement, authority over both sites will now return to the official executive government.

In its statement on Sunday, the High Council of State commended the “national efforts” that helped prevent further bloodshed and said the airport’s handover marks a crucial milestone in consolidating state control. The council further stressed that dialogue remains the most effective path to achieving long-term stability.

Clashes between GNU forces and Radaa fighters had escalated since May after tensions over Mitiga Airport, culminating in heavy confrontations in early September that pushed mediators to intervene.

Libya has remained deeply divided since the 2011 NATO-backed uprising that ousted longtime leader Muammar Gaddafi. The nation is split between the Tripoli-based GNU and an eastern administration aligned with Khalifa Haftar’s Libyan National Army.

The High Council of State, which serves as an advisory chamber to parliament, called on political and armed factions across Libya to prioritise unity and work toward building a civil state based on justice, rule of law, and the aspirations of the Libyan people.

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