Intra-militia assassinations in Tripoli threaten stability

On 26 November, four key militiamen from the Tripoli Revolutionary Brigade (TRB) were assassinated at Mitiga airport upon their return from Turkey. On 30 November, the UNSMIL issued a statement condemning these attacks TRB leader Haithem Tajouri is thought to have sanctioned the killings and reportedly prevented the Public Prosecutor from gaining access to the bodies. One of those killed was Hadi Awainat, who was reportedly planning a coup again Tajouri. Assassinations of militia members since mid-October have raised concerns of another descent into violent clashes in the capital. However, this has not materialised and the latest killings indicate intra-militia politics, rather than inter-militia conflict. With Tajouri apparently keen on playing a pivotal role in the Government of National Accord’s (GNA) new Tripoli security arrangements, internal dissent is being swiftly dealt with, either via banishment from the capital or death. This indicates that militia violence is likely to remain localised and limited in the immediate term, although the latent threat of inter-militia violence in the capital remains extant