Dbeibah Turns to the Muslim Brotherhood, Haftar Warns of Decisive Moment… Libya on a Knife’s Edge

27th May 2025

2 minutes read

Dbeibah Turns to the Muslim Brotherhood, Haftar Warns of Decisive Moment… Libya on a Knife’s Edge

Amid growing protests in western Libya and looming military movements from the east, the outgoing head of the Government of National Unity, Abdelhamid Dbeibah, is reinforcing his alliances with the political Islamist movement in a clear attempt to cling to power.

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In a move that has sparked significant controversy, Dbeibah appointed former prime minister Omar Al-Hassi as his special advisor. Al-Hassi is a prominent leader of the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group — Al-Qaeda’s Libyan branch founded in 1990 — and has been linked to past terrorist activities. He is also known for his staunch support of the “Benghazi Shura Council of Revolutionaries,” which is designated as a terrorist organization, and for his armed opposition to the Libyan National Army (LNA).

Observers quoted by Al-Arab (London-based) suggest this appointment reflects Dbeibah’s strategy of manipulating tribal, regional, and sectarian divisions, while leveraging radical Islamist factions such as the Muslim Brotherhood to suppress the protest movement and incite hostility against eastern institutions. Sources further claim that Dbeibah is in ongoing contact with leaders of this movement and has recently offered Abdelhakim Belhaj — the former head of the Islamic Fighting Group — a return to Tripoli.

Meanwhile, the head of the Dar al-Ifta in Tripoli, Mufti Sadiq Al-Ghariani — widely seen as the Brotherhood’s religious figurehead and dismissed by Parliament in November 2014 — has declared that Dbeibah’s government is “the least harmful of Libya’s political entities,” implicitly calling for its support during the current turmoil.

Al-Ghariani is also known for pressuring the Special Deterrence Force — affiliated with the Presidential Council and specialized in counterterrorism and organized crime — to release detained militants affiliated with Al-Qaeda and ISIS, allegedly to rearm them for renewed confrontation with the national army.

In contrast, Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar reaffirmed his commitment to Libya’s unity and territorial integrity during a massive military parade held in Benghazi.

Addressing his forces, Haftar said: “You are the shield and the sword at the borders, defending this precious nation. Your armed forces will have the final word at the decisive moment.”

He emphasized that the military’s primary goal is to restore the Libyan state, uphold its sovereignty, and strengthen its security and stability. “We stand with the will of the Libyan people,” he concluded.