On 27 June, French website Africa Intelligence reported that Libya’s Public Facility and Establishment Security Authority (FSA) had decided to allow only 18 of the nearly 100 private security companies operating in Libya to continue their work. The decision comes after Government of National Unity (GNU) Prime Minister Abdul Hameed Dabaiba ratified earlier in June a 2012 law banning foreign security companies from operating in the country, and stating that all security contracts must be operated by a local firm approved by the FSA. According to the report, the FSA – led by Osama Talish – also plans to make its own agents available for contracts requiring the presence of armed guards.
Under the new regulations, which several embassies are reportedly trying to negotiate with the FSA, international companies are forced to partner with local firms and work as subcontractors for them in order to continue operating in Libya. These include France’s Amarante International, which has partnered with Karim Gammoudi’s International Libyan Company (ILC); Canada’s GardaWorld, partnering with Tarek Mohammed Owaynat’s First Call Security; France’s Sentinel, a partner of Al Hares Security; and the UK’s Whispering Bell, a partner of Nibras.