Libya's Government Uses Public Pressure Against Militias

The Libyan government will likely try to capitalize on public discontent to turn the tide in its ongoing negotiations with the powerful local governments, tribal leaders and their respective militias. Tensions in Tripoli are high after members of the Misrata militia fired on protesters Nov. 15, triggering an exchange of gunfire that left 40 dead and hundreds injured, many critically. The protests were in response to earlier clashes between the Misrata militia and local armed groups — clashes that were themselves the result of a Nov. 6 incident in which a Misrata militia commander was killed at a security checkpoint.

Organized by Tripoli's religious and political leaders, the Nov. 15 incident reveals that the government, typically depicted as having few options to limit the role of militias in post-revolutionary Libya, is attempting to turn public perception against the armed groups. However, even if the public supports the central government's campaign to limit militias, the government faces a difficult and violent future as it tries to bring the armed groups and local governments under central control.