Tobruk government fires minister for criticism of anti-militia campaign

A senior Libyan politician was reportedly dismissed on Wednesday after criticising General Khalifa Haftar, the man who is leading an anti-militia campaign in the country.

Abdullah al-Thinni, who heads one of Libya’s rival governments based in Tobruk, fired his Interior Minister Omar al-Zanki after Zanki accused Haftar of preventing Thinni from visiting Libya’s second city of Benghazi early this month, media reports have claimed. 

Haftar’s forces, pursuing the anti-militia campaign Operation Dignity since last May, launched a renewed offensive to take back control of Benghazi in late January - Haftar said last week that Benghazi would be “liberated from terrorists very soon”.

Operation Dignity troops tried to prevent a delegation from the House of Representatives, Libya’s internationally-recognised parliament headed by Thinni, from visiting the city two weeks ago.

After speaking to the international press about the incident, Zanki was dismissed from his position. 

A spokesperson for Thinni’s government, which continues to hold meetings in the far-eastern city of Tobruk despite an ongoing struggle for legitimacy with the Tripoli-based General National Congress, quickly confirmed that Zanki had been fired although he did not give details about his sacking. 

However, a high-level official told Reuters that Zanki’s public criticism of Haftar was the reason behind his removal. 

Zanki later slammed the decision, describing it as “illegal” and insisting that he will continue to carry out his duties. 

The House of Representatives, the parliament to which Haftar’s forces are allied, is investigating promoting the military man to General Commander of the country’s National Army, local media has reported. 

Mohammed el-Jarh, a Libyan analyst, also said on Thursday that Haftar is “likely” to get the role, which is higher than the Chief of Staff, but still subordinate to the Commander in Chief, currently filled by veteran fighter Yousef Mangoush.

Haftar took part in the 1969 coup that brought Gaddafi to power, but later defected and moved to the US in 1990 – in 1993 he was sentenced to death in absentia for crimes against the Libyan state.

He returned to Libya in 2011 and led forces in the uprising against former strongman Muammar Gaddafi, after which point he officially retired. 

Back in May, however, General Haftar launched his military campaign against militia groups he deemed "Islamists" and "terrorists". While initially dubbed a "rogue", as violence and divisions have grown Haftar has managed to win greater international support and in November last year was officially reintegrated back into the army that is loyal to Tobruk. Haftar also admitted publicly for the first time last month that his forces receive material support from Egypt and the UAE among others.

But rival militias that back the Tripoli-based parliament claim that Tobruk and Haftar are trying to return to the days of Gaddafi rule and have launched a counter offensive, aimed at seizing Tobruk-held oil fields to the east.