Benghazi Defence Forces (BDF) announces its dissolution

Libya

Published on Monday, 26 June 2017 Back to articles
BDF Signature On Letter
The BDF’s stamp at the bottom of the letter in which the organisation announces its dissolution

On 23 June, the Benghazi Defence Forces (BDF) announced its dissolution as a militia umbrella organisation. The announcement came a year after the establishment of the BDF in order to resist Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar in Benghazi and return the city’s displaced civilians to their homes. The BDF had, however, long been considered controversial. Although there were some mainstream militias amongst its ranks — and it had support from the Government of National Accord’s (GNA) defence minister, Mahdi al-Barghathi — it also contained members of terrorist organisations including Ansar al-Sharia. In the past, the LNA has highlighted this to justify its attacks on the BDF. Its members were also implicated in the Brak Al-Shatti massacre, and were singled out by Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt, and Bahrain in their recently published terror list. The eastern government also included the BDF in their terror list which was published after the Gulf countries (see Libya Politics & Security19.06.17).

Following the Brak Al-Shatti massacre, the Libyan National Army (LNA) air-force and group assets pushed the BDF out of their headquarters in the Jufra area, which it had held since its formation. Having scattered, its remaining piece of leverage appeared to be tangential support from the GNA via its increasingly controversial defence minister. Yet, although the group may be dissolved, many of its components remain and could easily regroup in the future under a new and less tainted name.

The BDF published its statement of dissolution in English, which could be interpreted as an attempt to appeal not just to Libyans, but as a legitimate player in the military landscape. The group — which launched multiple attacks on eastern oil infrastructure in the past year — emphasised the following: its humanitarian mission; its support for national reconciliation; its plans for reform; and the cessation of violence. It claimed that the reason it was dissolving was to prevent further bloodshed.

The BDF also claimed that France, Egypt and the UAE were plotting to intervene militarily in support of a military coup to bring Haftar, who they view as a war criminal, to power in Libya. This alleged coup plot is most likely connected to the visits by   … [article continues] …

This is an excerpt from an article in one of our weekly publications, Libya Politics & Security.

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