General information
Part of Conflict: Libya: Government
Date of first stated goals of incompatibility: 2016-12-25
Comment on date of first stated goal of incompatibility: On 25 December 2015, the PFLL released its formative statement, where it claimed that it would free the country from the control of “terrorists” and “criminal militias”. Part of the statement read: "[f]eeling our historical and national responsibility to maintain the homeland and the dignity of its people and to work on passing it to the future generations free, dignified and prestigious as we inherited it from our parents and grandparents who had sacrificed themselves and their wealth in heroic, immortal epics for its sake
[…]
We announce the launch of the organized popular work, at home and abroad, of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Libya, a national framework of struggle that combines all Libyan activists to liberate the country from the control of terrorist organizations that use religion as a cover and are bonded by being agents for the foreigner, and the tampering of criminal militias; and to work on building a national sovereign state and maintaining its independence, security, and prestige by means of legitimate institutions.
[…]
O patient freedom-fighting Sons of our people. Forget your grudges. Unite your ranks. Transcend your wounds. Let us band together with the Popular Front for the Liberation of Libya, the inclusive national framework of struggle where all sincere national energies melt… Together for Libya’s welfare, prosperity, freedom and, social justice"
Date of first use of armed force: 2017-11-08
Comment on date of first use of armed force: In early November, Libyan government forces of the Western Military Operations Chamber, supported by militias from the Zintan Military Council, attacked PFLL forces gathering in the Wershafana area, southwest of Tripoli. The PFLL forces, including mercenaries from the Sudanese Justice and Equality Movement (JEM), suffered heavy losses; government sources confirmed that at least 70 people died in the fighting.
First Battle Related Death: 2017-10-31
Comment on First Battle Related Death: In early November, Libyan government forces of the Western Military Operations Chamber, supported by militias from the Zintan Military Council, attacked PFLL forces gathering in the Wershafana area, southwest of Tripoli. The PFLL forces, including mercenaries from the Sudanese Justice and Equality Movement (JEM), suffered heavy losses; government sources confirmed that at least 70 people died in the fighting.
Date when dyad reached 25 battle releated deaths: 2017-11-08
Comment on date when dyad reached 25 battle related deaths: In early November, Libyan government forces of the Western Military Operations Chamber, supported by militias from the Zintan Military Council, attacked PFLL forces gathering in the Wershafana area, southwest of Tripoli. The PFLL forces, including mercenaries from the Sudanese Justice and Equality Movement (JEM), suffered heavy losses; government sources confirmed that at least 70 people died in the fighting.
Conflict issues
Conflict Goal Issues: Popular Front for the Liberation of Libya (PFLL) was a Ghaddafi-loyalist rebel group that was created in 2016 and emerged in 2017 with the intention of overthrowing the sitting Libyan government and aimed to rebuild the Libyan state and ensure its independence from foreign control. During the first, and only coded, year of conflict, 2017, the group released several statements pertaining to its conflict goal issues. In its founding document, PFLL called for the expulsion from the “terrorist organizations” and “agents for the foreigner” who were controlling the government and to be replaced with a political system that would be chosen by the people through a free and democratic process which would result in a reformation of the executive structure. The group also called for reformations of citizenship which would result in civil- and cultural rights to be respected, for para-military forces to be disbanded, and for a modernization of the economy. As PFLL was only coded for one year, no further conflict goal issues were pronounced, and no main issue was attributed to the group.
Conflict Dynamics Issues: During its year of coded conflict, PFLL heavily emphasized their intent to remove foreign forces and influence from Libya. In particular, PFLL called upon the international community to hold the current Libyan government accountable for human rights abuses, to withdraw international support to the government and to instead support “the Libyan people”. The group also called for the release of political prisoners and for displaced refugees to be returned to their homes. No further statements were interpreted, and no main conflict dynamics issue was attributed.
Conflict Resolution Issues: During 2017, PFLL made several statements pertaining to conflict resolution issues. They called for perpetrators of human rights abuses to be punished and for negotiations to be held with an emphasis on national dialogue being promoted, particularly emphasizing the inclusion of the Libyan people and national political forces into negotiations, rather than just warring parties.
Type of conflict issues: Conflict Goal Issues: Rule of law, Change economic system, Citizenship reforms, Civil rights, CPS: Democracy, CPS: Other/undefined system, Cultural rights, Disband para-military forces, Law and order, Reform executive structure
Conflict Dynamics Issues: Atrocities and abuses, DFI: Removal of foreign influence, DFI: Withdrawal of military intervention/foreign forces, IFI: International court/tribunal/investigation, IFI: Use of foreign influence, Release of prisoners, Return of refugees/IDPs
Conflict Resolution Issues: Accountability/prosecution/investigation, Structure of negotiations, Call for negotiations, National dialogue
Annual information
This section contains annual information systematically collected by the UCDP.
2016
| Estimated Fatalities | |
|---|---|
| High | 0 |
| Best | 0 |
| Low | 0 |
Secondary Warring Support:
Side A (Government of Libya): n/a
Side B (PFLL): n/a
2017
| Estimated Fatalities | |
|---|---|
| High | 98 |
| Best | 70 |
| Low | 70 |
Secondary Warring Support:
Side A (Government of Libya): n/a
Side B (PFLL): n/a
Dyad Archive
This section contains annual information no longer systematically collected by the UCDP.
2016 Dyad Archive
Terminated: NO
2017 Dyad Archive
Terminated: YES
Type of termination: No or Low Activity
Date of termination: 2017-12-31
Comment on Termination: Clashes between the Government of Libya and the PFLL occurred in October and November 2017, however, since then, no further clashes between the two have been reported. Thus, the conflict was coded as terminated on 31 December 2017 due to low activity.
