Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh has signed a decree to create a new armed group, called the National Apparatus of Support Forces, which will be commanded by Ahmad Ali Khalil Issa, a representative of the city of Misrata, according to document leaked to the press.
The new apparatus includes the February 17 Revolutionaries, a group inspired by the uprisings that led to the fall of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. It is unclear what the exact role of the apparatus will be. The decree makes an obscure statement about the purpose if the apparatus, saying that its goal will be to “protect the sovereign legitimacy of the state and preserve the goals of the revolution.”
Commenting on the news, Mohamed Eljarh, a Libyan analyst, said that “with this, Dabaiba continues its efforts to consolidate its grip on western Libya”.
GNU PM @Dabaibahamid continues his efforts to consolidate his grip on western #Libya. He just created a new armed group – The National Apparatus for Support Forces – it includes "Feb17 Revolutionaries" and is tasked with protecting among other duties "values/objectives of Feb17" pic.twitter.com/klskGiMwnL
— Mohamed Eljarh (@Eljarh) June 6, 2023