The Ubari conflict was a territorial dispute between the Tuareg and Tubu tribes over control of the town of Ubari, located near the oasis town of Sabha, Libya.[2][1]
| Ubari conflict | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the Second Libyan Civil War | |||||
  Ubari Ubari conflict (Libya) | |||||
| |||||
| Belligerents | |||||
|
Awlad Suliman tribe (Arab) Supported by:  Government of National Accord |
Supported by: Libyan National Army | ||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||
 Edel Abu Baker Issa †(Tuareg Ghat leader)[1][2] Ali Salah al-Husseini[3] Cpt. Ali Hussein(military operations commander)[2] Otman Ziad[4] Bello Ahmed Hamadeen[4] Ahmed Allal(Brigade 30 commander) |
 Issa Abdel Majid Mansur(Toubou Front for Salvation of Libya leader)[3] Ali Akri[3] Sharafeddine Barka Azaiy[3] | ||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||
| 400 dead and 600 injured[4] | |||||
Timeline
editThe conflict began in September 2014, when the Tuareg and Tubu fought for control of the city. The Arab Awlad Suliman tribe, an enemy of the Tubu, supported the Tuareg in what they viewed as combating Tubu expansionism. The Tuareg took positions on Tendi Mountain, north of the city, while the Tubu took most of the Eastern side of town and adjacent foothills, cutting off the Eastern road leading to the Tuareg stronghold of Sabha, in Western Libya.[5]
As the conflict progressed, both sides received reinforcements. The Tubu mobilised in Sabah and Qatrun, bringing hundreds of its tribesmen to Ubari. The Tuareg mobilized in Ghat, and Sabha, bringing several hundred of its fighters to Ubari.[3]
On 23 November 2015, Qatar mediated a ceasefire between the Tuareg and Tubu; both groups agreed to withdraw from Ubari, and allowed for Arab tribesmen of the Hasawna tribe to enter the city to act as peacekeepers.[6][4] In March 2017, representatives from the Tuareg, Tebu, and Awlad Suleiman signed a peace treaty in Rome as a replacement for a failed 2015 ceasefire brokered by Qatar.[7]
In February 2019, both the Tuareg and Tubu temporarily united under the GNA and its Tuareg commander Gen. Ali Kanna to defend themselves against Libyan National Army offensive in Fezzan.[8]
References
edit- ^ a b "Tuareg and Tebu fight proxy battle in southwest Libya". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 2020-01-15.
- ^ a b c Murray, Rebecca (2015-06-07). "In a Southern Libya Oasis, a Proxy War Engulfs Two Tribes". Vice. Retrieved 2020-01-15.
- ^ a b c d e Murray, Rebecca. "SOUTHERN LIBYA - DESTABILIZED" (PDF). small Arms Survey. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 7, 2017.
- ^ a b c d "In Libya's south the elders talk peace, but the soldiers fight on". Middle East Eye. Retrieved 2020-01-15.
- ^ Murray, Rebecca (2016-06-03). "Heavily Armed and With No Economy, This Town Is Libya in a Nutshell". Vice. Retrieved 2020-01-15.
- ^ "Warring tribes in southern Libya sign peace deal". Reuters. 2015-11-23. Retrieved 2020-01-15.
- ^ "Tebu, Tuareg and Awlad Suleiman make peace in Rome". Libya Herald. 30 March 2017. Retrieved 2020-01-15.
- ^ "Feuding tribes unite as new civil war looms in Libya's south". Middle East Eye. Retrieved 2020-01-15.