Late on 17 May, PM Abdul Hameed Dabaiba made a televised speech to the Libyan people – his first such speech since the violence and instability began on 12 May – in which he outlined his rationale for moving against Stability Support Apparatus (SSA) commander Abdul Ghani al-Kikli (Ghinaywa) and stressed that he had delayed giving this speech to avoid any misunderstanding or enflaming tensions further. He said that after the February Revolution, militias gained significant control over Libya’s financial, economic, and social sectors. His government inherited this and tried to address it. While some militias withdrew or joined state institutions, a third obstinate group became powerful ‘sharks’ extorting the state. Dabaiba declared that Libya is entering a ‘decisive phase’ in reclaiming state authority from powerful armed militias and that the Government of National Unity (GNU) would no longer tolerate chaos or allow non-state actors to control Libyans’ destiny. He said there was finally hope that the militias can be removed from the Libyan state.
He stressed that Ghinaywa had significant influence over the Abu Salim area and over banks and institutions within the country, that anyone who got on the wrong side of him was put ‘in prisons or in the cemetery.’ He accused him of being behind the scandal involving the unregulated import of Iraqi cancer drugs by putting pressure on the Minister of Heath (Deputy PM Ramadan Abu Jennah who resigned over the scandal). As such, Dabaiba portrayed the security operation which saw the SSA largely removed from Abu Salim as one of liberation, noting it was a quick and successful operation with limited damage inflicted. He stressed that new security appointments were made to remove the SSA’s influence, notably replacing the head of the Internal Security Agency (ISA).
Dabaiba went on to admit that mistakes were made in the days after the Abu Salim operation – the move to disband the Special Deterrence Force (Rada) and the clashes that followed – and stressed that he did not intend there to be a conflict. However, he claimed these mistakes were quickly addressed and warned militia members that they must now choose between integrating into state institutions or facing legal consequences. He said the fear barrier has been broken, and ‘we must not defend blackmailers and criminals’.
Dabaiba also warned that there were people seeking to exploit the instability to promote a ‘coup project’ in the capital, claiming that ‘Aqeela, Mishri and Rajma [House of Representatives (HoR) Speaker Aqeela Saleh, High State Council (HSC) head Khaled al-Mishri, and the Libyan National Army (LNA)] want you to stay at the mercy of militias.’ He admitted that some of the Friday protests the previous day were legitimate, but claimed that most had been ‘paid for’ by rivals looking to undermine him and the GNU. He also said he had international support.
In his speech, Dabaiba stressed that he intends to support the Abu Salim region. He followed up on this in the following days by announcing plans to improve health provision and other infrastructure in Abu Salim, to help displaced people return to the area, and to regenerate areas controlled by the SSA. This includes plans to turn the SSA’s so-called 77 camp, one of the biggest facilities that was under control of SSA, into a national park. The GNU posted a video on 19 May showing bulldozers demolishing the site.
Following the HoR session on 19 May and Saleh’s strong speech against him, Dabaiba said in a post on his personal Facebook page that Saleh ‘knows no shame’ given he is a ‘warmonger who espoused the aggression against Tripoli for more than a year and two months, and contributed to the legalisation of bombing and destruction [referring to the Tripoli War 2019-2020]. He also referred to the fates of the HoR members who have been disappeared.