The Hidden Power Dynamics Behind Ghniwa’s Killing in Libya

Abstract

The killing of Abdelghani al-Kekly — better known as Ghniwa — marks a decisive and dangerous shift in the balance of power within Tripoli’s armed factions. As the influential head of the Stability Support Apparatus (SSA), Ghniwa was a key player in the capital’s security order and long seen as a close ally of Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbaiba. His sudden assassination, allegedly carried out under the orders of Hamza, commander of the 444 Brigade and one of Dbaiba’s most trusted loyalists, has sent shockwaves through Libya’s fragile political landscape. This feature explores Ghniwa’s rise to power, the complex web of alliances that tied him to the Prime Minister, and how their fractured relationship ended in violence — a development that could reshape the strategic future of both Tripoli and North Africa.