In August, a string of unmanned-aircraft strikes hit fuel storage sites in western Libya, igniting a blaze at the Zawiya oil complex and deepening power outages across the region. The attacks, which targeted a tank holding roughly 4.5 million litres of gasoline were quickly linked to a covert group allegedly overseen by Saddam Haftar the deputy commander of the Libyan National Army (LNA). The fallout has placed immense pressure on the Tripoli-based Government of National Unity (GNU) and its prime minister, Abdul Hamid Dbeibah, who now faces public demands for security and accountability.
Arrests and the alleged terror cell
On 5 September, security forces in southern Tripoli detained three Libyan nationals and one Spanish citizen suspected of participating in a broader plot that allegedly included an attack on Tripoli airport. Investigators say the detained individuals were affiliated with the Tareq ben Ziyad brigade a formation linked to the LNA. Sources close to the GNU contend the suspects were acting on instructions from Saddam Haftar himself, describing the intelligence as a “goldmine” capable of undermining his father, Khalifa Haftar. While no formal decision has been announced, officials emphasized that cooperation with Saddam has become untenable in light of the revelations.
Impact on the US-backed merger and UN-sponsored talks
Washington’s Africa adviser, Massad Boulos, has been championing a power-sharing formula that would place Khalifa Haftar in a presidential role while a member of the Dbeibah family assumes the prime-ministerial post. Boulos repeatedly stressed that the arrangement is “not about families or names,” arguing that individuals must simply occupy the necessary positions. The drone assaults, however, are alleged to be a reaction to Dbeibah’s perceived stalling on the Boulos proposal and to accusations that Tripoli encouraged southern tribes to target LNA forces. The allegations have therefore destabilised the delicate balance of the UN-backed 4+4 talks which had secured an August agreement to hold national elections within two years.
Walid Ellafi, the GNU’s minister for political affairs, defended the 4+4 framework as a genuine pathway to legitimate institutions, insisting that any settlement bypassing accountability or overlooking the displacement of around 9,000 families in Benghazi would be unacceptable. He warned that an elite east-west bargain that ignores such grievances could fuel further resentment and jeopardise the forthcoming electoral timetable.
Family rivalries and regional backers
The controversy also revives internal competition among Khalifa Haftar’s three sons. Saddam, widely regarded as the probable heir, enjoys substantial financial resources and the backing of the United Arab Emirates, positioning him at the forefront of political negotiations. His brothers, Khaled and Belqasim, lean more heavily toward Egyptian patronage and have recently begun to challenge Saddam’s dominance within the LNA’s power structures. This intra-family tension adds another layer of complexity to any prospective settlement, as rival factions vie for influence over Libya’s fragmented security apparatus.
With electricity blackouts persisting, fuel supplies compromised, and a fragile political roadmap hanging in the balance, Libya’s quest for national reconciliation faces a critical juncture. The coming weeks will reveal whether the GNU can re-establish dialogue with the eastern forces, or whether the allegations against Saddam Haftar will push the country further into a stalemate, prolonging the decade-long division that has followed the 2011 overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi.
