Tripolitania and Tripoli
Security in several areas in the wesy of the country in late December remained fragile, with continued activity in Beni Walid, Mizdeh, Al Ajelat, and Misratah, with attacks against security forces and incidents attributed to lawlessness and a perceived rise in criminality. Likewise, security in Tripoli remained of concern, with a number of clashes and an increase in reported abductions. Whereas the majority of abductions have typically targeted civilians for ransom, a number of abductions in mid to late December targeted more prominent individuals. While the Interior Minister Ashour Shuwail has said he is confident he can restore stability to the capital within six months, he faces a number of security challenges, including the integration of rebel groups into the security apparatus and a general perception of an increase in low-level violence.
Relations on both sides of the Libyan-Tunisian Ras Al Jadir border remained fractious with at least one closure in late December. According to the Libya Herald, the Ras Al Jadir Dhehiba-Wazen border crossings were still closed as of 4 January, with dozens of Libyan truck drivers continuing to stage a sit-in in protest of repeated closures. Separate reports have claimed that goods are now being shipped by sea between the two countries Tunisia and Libya. On 7 January, Prime Minister Ali Zeidan and his Tunisian counterpart Hamadi Jebali both publicly stated that steps were being taken to re-open the border crossings as a mater of priority.
Fighting erupted in late December between the rival Qadhafa and Awlad Suliman tribes in Sabha’s Al Manshiya district, following a small altercation that escalated into violence. This led to several days of fighting by rival groups in the area. By 4 January a degree of calm had been restored, unconfirmed reports claimed that the fighting had left several people dead and wounded and saw schools and local businesses temporarily closed. A separate report claimed that a cease-fire was now in place between the two tribes, which was overseen by the Awlad Abu Yousuf tribe.
Separately, National Assembly Speaker Mohamed Magarief arrived in Sabha on 2 January as part of a fact-finding mission to the south. Press Solidarity subsequently reported that the Fezzan Hotel in Sabha, where Magarief and his entourage were staying, came under attack on the night of 3 January, two security personnel were subsequently reported to have been killed in the attack. A later report in Bloomberg Business News claimed that Magarief subsequently told Libyan state television that the attack on his hotel in Sabha was an assassination attempt, although this was dismissed in other reports.