On 24 July, Prime Minister Abdul Hameed Dabaiba issued a decree appointing Brigadier General Mahmoud bin Rajab, the commander of the Libyan Army’s Zawiyya and Tripoli-based 52nd Infantry Brigade, as the Director of Military Affairs at the Ministry of Defense.
The decision was criticized by political observers arguing that elevating such controversial figures into senior government roles legitimizes non-state armed groups, entrenches militia influence within official state institutions, and actively undermines ongoing local and international efforts to disarm militias and unify Libya’s military under a professional, standardized system.