When the Government of National Accord’s (GNA) Presidential Council (PC) issued a decision to put forces on the alert and take all security measures to secure metropolitan Tripoli for 48 hours starting from July 28 at noon, Libyans considered it a paper decision by a paper council having no control whatsoever over the capital.

When the Government of National Accord’s (GNA) Presidential Council (PC) issued a decision to put forces on the alert and take all security measures to secure metropolitan Tripoli for 48 hours starting from July 28 at noon, Libyans considered it a paper decision by a paper council having no control whatsoever over the capital.

At the set time, however, a large Salafist security force appeared. Supported by police forces, the Special Deterrence Forces (SDF) led by Abdurraouf Kara, spread through sensitive locations and around state institutions in anticipation of demonstrations called for by Grand Mufti Sadiq Al-Ghariani to overthrow the PC, handover power to the General National Conference (GNC) and condemn the French intervention alongside General Khalifa Hafter.

A Salafist, Wahhabi militia, SDF’s focuses its policing activities on combating drug and alcohol dealers, thieves, kidnappers and even currency traders. It has also played a key role in capturing IS sleeping cells, thus gaining a great social popularity, especially in Souq Gomaa neighborhood.

Kara says he is not interested in politics but in maintaining people’s security. He follows the concept of the traditional Salafi loyalty to the ruler. Therefore, he considers the PC, rather than the GNC, which was dissolved by virtue of the Skhirat Agreement, to be the current ruler.

Kara is aware that the GNA is supported by the West or the US. Thus, loyalty to the USA ensures his influence and the wages of his some 2000 troops. This is why he broke away from his former allies of pro-GNA supporters of Fajr Libya militias, such as Abdelhakim Belhadj, Salah Badi, Abu Obeida Zaoui, Khaled al-Sharif, Salah al-Mirghani and others.

Had it not been for the SDFs, the PC would have neither entered Tripoli nor implemented its decision to put forces on alert, through which Kara conveyed to the PC’s opponents a strong message of being the chief of Tripoli’s security. Aiming at ousting the PC, these opponents are instigated by Al-Ghariani who had been dismissed by the House of Representatives (HoR).

Al- Ghariani has become the mufti of western Libya and of extremist militias, such as the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group, Libya Revolutionaries Operations Room, Benghazi Defense Brigades, Shura Council of Benghazi Revolutionaries, and Shura Council of Derna Revolutionaries, who, for him, are the believers, while Haftar’s forces are the oppressive forces who use the godless (France). Al-Ghariani considers fighting Haftar’s forces a sacred jihad, which does not require ‘parental permission’.

Al-Ghariani however did not describe the SDFs as a deviant group or allowed jihad against it. Instead, he accused it of being unjust, extremist, hostile to Islam and the rebels, and an agent for foreign and Gulf intelligence.

While Al-Ghariani deems Hafter and his camp traitors and infidels because they used the foreign occupying (French) air force in Benghazi, he timidly criticized the US air strikes in Sirte.

Moreover, the Tobruk-based HoR condemned the US air intervention in Sirte because it was at a GNA’s request that was not given HoR’s confidence, while it considered the French intervention as legitimate.

Since most of Misrata militias left Tripoli and joined the war frontline in Sirte and the forces of pro-Al-Ghariani supporters shrank, it seemed a non-compensable opportunity for Haftar’s troops to control Tripoli, moving from its stations in West Tripoli, from the side of Zintan, Rajaban and Wershfana.

“Tripoli has become militarily accessible, especially since the withdrawal of Misrata militias,” says a senior officer in Operation Dignity. “However, it is a politically wrong move because the US will consider it an assault against their instrument – the PC and the GNA. First, all Tripoli’s residents should reject them and we must ensure that supportive young people will take to arms to protect their neighborhoods.”