The UN-recognized government of Libya, located in Tripoli, has reached a preliminary agreement with an armed group to resolve months of tension that occasionally escalated into violence, according to a government adviser and local media reports on Saturday.
Turkey facilitated the negotiations between the government and the Radaa Force, as reported by the same sources.
Ziyad Deghem, an adviser to the head of the Presidential Council’s transitional body, stated that the specifics of the agreement “will be disclosed to the public at a later date.”
So far, neither Radaa nor the government has made any official statements.
However, the Libyan broadcaster Al-Ahrar shared a video on X on Saturday, purportedly showing defense ministry forces entering an airport controlled by Radaa.
The North African nation continues to struggle with division and instability after years of unrest following the NATO-supported uprising that overthrew long-time leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.
The country remains split between the UN-recognized government in the west and its eastern adversary, supported by military commander Khalifa Haftar.
In mid-May, clashes erupted in Tripoli between government-aligned forces and armed groups that the authorities aim to dismantle.
Among these groups is the Radaa Force, which controls the eastern part of the capital and Mitiga airport, as well as several prisons and detention centers.
According to a source within the group, as cited by Al Ahrar, the two parties have agreed to establish a “neutral and unified force… to manage and secure four airports” in the western region, including Mitiga.
Since 2011, Radaa has controlled the airport, which is the only airport providing commercial flights to the Libyan capital.
Prisons and detention centers managed by the Radaa Force are expected to fall under the jurisdiction of the Attorney General’s office, according to Al-Ahrar.
On the channel, Deghem expressed gratitude to Turkey “for its exceptional efforts” and to the UN mission in Libya (UNSMIL) for its “essential and decisive” mediation.
