Political analyst Jamal Shalouf said that the increasing military build-up in the capital, Tripoli, especially after the explosion of an ammunition depot and the transfer of some forces out of the city, carries more than one message.
In a statement to the “Sputnik” agency, Shalouf explained that these movements represent a message of reassurance to the forces massed inside the capital that there is scope to increase troop numbers. At the same time, it is a message that the option of a military solution is still on the table, as well as being a means of pressure on international powers involved in the Libyan file to achieve gains through a policy of blackmail.
He added that the presence of armed formations and the proliferation of weapons in Tripoli do not allow for security stability, pointing out that these forces are motivated more by spoils than any other objective, making them a direct danger to civilian lives. He warned of the possibility that some of these formations might resort to acts of brigandage amid what he described as a serious security deterioration that makes the capital seem as if it is “standing on the brink of a major crisis, awaiting the outbreak of war at any moment.”
Shalouf believes that the Dbeibeh government bears direct responsibility for this build-up, while the role of the Presidential Council remains governed by the will of international powers, limited to responding to their attempts to contain the crisis. He added that the government sees military operations and control by force as a means to stay in power.
Shalouf pointed out that there is a path led by the UN mission as a front for the international will, and that the plan of UN envoy Hanna Tetteh, which includes changing the government in a short period, could form the beginning of a new political path leading the country towards elections. However, he stressed that this path clashes with the survival of the Dbeibeh government, which makes the continuation of security turmoil and the build-up in Tripoli a tool to obstruct the international path and prevent its progress.