SUMMARY
SDB (Saraya Difaa al-Bengazhi, alternatively Benghazi Defense Brigade/BDB) was a Libyan armed umbrella group that emerged in 2016. The SDB claimed to be unaffiliated to any particular political organization or ideology, and its primary goal was to facilitate the return of Benghazi citizens displaced by “Operation Karama”, a military offensive in Benghazi launched by forces loyal to the House of Representatives. According to the group, it was also opposed to all forms of political and ideological terrorism, and sought to facilitate national unity and stability. The group was severely weakened following its leading role in the massacre of unarmed soldiers and civilians at the House of Representatives-controlled Brak al-Shati Airbase in May 2017. The massacre, which was conducted alongside Misratan forces loyal to the Government of Libya, caused a disastrous loss of public support for SDB, and led to internal divisions.
SDB was created in May 2016, primarily as a reaction to the vigorous “anti-Islamist” campaign led by the Forces of House of Representatives’ top military commander, Khalifa Haftar. It was comprised of a disparate collection of commanders and cadres from militias expelled from Benghazi by the Forces of House of Representatives. While many SDB members came from more or less hardline Islamist groups, the only overarching ideological direction of the group was a strong anti-Haftar sentiment. Despite the presence of extremist elements within SDB, the group claimed to be a moderate faction in favor of national unity; SDB emphasized that it was comprised of Libyans from the Cyrenaica region who had participated in the 2011 uprising against Muammar Qaddafi. However, SDB’s leadership served as a good indicator of the wide range of groups represented in organization. The top commander of the group was Brigadier General Mustafa al-Sharkasi, a former commander in both the regular Libyan Armed Forces and Haftar’s LNA militia. Al-Sharkasi had served in the Libyan Air Force in Benghazi during Gaddafi’s rule, before he defected and joined rebel forces in Misrata in 2011. Several other important leaders and commanders – such as Ziyad Belam, Ismail Muhammad al-Salabi, Ahmad al-Tajuri, and Faraj Shaku – had been members of militias that comprised the hardline Islamist, anti-Haftar umbrella organization Benghazi Revolutionaries Shura Council. The group was primarily active around the tows of Benghazi and Ajdabiya, in Libya’s strategically important “Oil Crescent”, as well as in the central Jufrah district. It has not been possible to establish the numerical strength of SDB.
SDB had a complex relationship to the Dar al-Ifta, Libya’s fatwa-issuing authority, and particularly its leader Mufti Sadiq al-Ghariani. While the group claimed to be loyal to the political and religious teachings of the Dar al-Ifta, there was no evidence that al-Ghariani had any direct control over SDB’s military activities. Nevertheless, al-Ghariani was one of SDB’s most outspoken supporters, as he himself was vehemently opposed to Khalifa Haftar. For example, al-Ghariani urged all Libyan “revolutionaries” (a term commonly used to denote pro-Islamist militias) to abandon the fight against the Islamic State (IS) in Sirte, and instead focus on defeating Haftar, who the Mufti accused of supporting IS. Furthermore, when SDB announced that it had launched a new offensive against the Forces of House of Representatives in 2017, al-Ghariani was also quick to publicly endorse the operation; there were also popular manifestations, likely encouraged by al-Ghariani, in both Tripoli and Misrata in support of SDB’s actions.
In 2016, SDB on occasion provided warring support to the Government of Libya in its conflict against the House of Representatives, as it fought alongside government militias (particularly the Misratan Third force/Misrata 13th Brigade). However, unlike many other militias, SDB was not formally subordinated to the Libyan Ministry of Defense, and it generally operated independently from the Government of Libya. There were also allegations, albeit unconfirmed, that the Government of Libya provided troops to support SDB attacks against the Forces of House of Representatives.
It has been suggested that both Turkey and Qatar provided weapons and vehicles to SDB; however, as this information came from sources within the Forces of House of Representatives, it should be treated with caution.
