SUMMARY

Clashes broke out in mid-June 2012 between the Gontrar tribe and fighters from Zintan town on the one side and the Mashashia tribe on the other. The fighting was mainly concentrated around the towns of Zintan, Sheguiga and Mizdah, in the Nafusa mountains. The violence reportedly began when a resident from the town of Zintan was killed by a roadblock set up by Mashashia tribesmen. The fighting ended after about one week, following mediation and the government’s call for an immediate ceasefire as well as troop deployment between the groups.

Tensions between the actors have been high following the popular uprising which led to the ousting of President Gaddafi in 2011. Fighters from Zintan have been pointed out as the leaders of the units that captured Tripoli from Gaddafi’s forces in August 2011. The Mashashia tribe on the other hand allegedly supported Gaddafi and his forces during the conflict. However, some sources claim that the tribe was not involved in the conflict.

The non-state conflict between the Gontrar, Zintan and the Mashashia tribe is first included in UCDP data in 2012. In mid-June that year, clashes between the groups resulted in more than 25 battle-related deaths.