| Country: | Libya |
| Details of Formation: | The SSC was formed by the Order No. 20 of the National Transitional Council in October 2011 (Wikipedia Ministry of Interior (Libya)). While first active in Tripoli, it spread throughout the country in 2012. |
| Details of Termination: | In mid-2014, the SSC was partly dismantled and members integrated into the police force. However, complete demobilization was unsuccessful because of a lack of resources and harsh security conditions. We have no information whether the SSC supported the HoR or the GNC after the change in government in 2014, but as the SSC is a relatively formalized state structure, it is not automatically coded terminated. |
| Purpose: | Upon creation, the SSC was given the order to protect property and provide general security, given the security vacuum after the fall of Gaddafi. They were considered to have achieved the desired goals (Wikipedia Ministry of Interior (Libya)). They also had an official mandate to apprehend former regime supporters. Relative advantages for the government include the use of the zeal and expertise of the revolutionary fighters, and the fact that they overshadowed regular forces which remained weak, ill-equipped and tainted by their affiliation with the Gaddafi regime. |
| Organisation: | Soon after being formed, the NTC transferred dependency of the SSC administratively and financially to the Interior Ministry (Wikipedia Ministry of Interior (Libya)). It is highly formalized, and formalization increased over time. However, it is suggested that loyalty of the SSC to the state will only hold while interests overlap. The relationships and control between the SSC and official security forces vary from one location to the other. |
| Weapons and Training: | -- |
| Size: | After the change in government in 2011, the SSC’s police force had 700 members (Wikipedia RADA Special Deterrence Force). Foreign Affairs estimates that there were between 90,000 to 100,000 fighters in July 2012. Another news source estimates for the same month a number of 131,000. |
| Reason for Membership: | Members received payment for being active in the SSC (Wikipedia Ministry of Interior (Libya)). This payment was higher than most alternative incomes and was therefore an important incentive to join and stay. Family structures and political affiliations also played a role in recruitment. |
| Treatment of Civilians: | -- |
| Other Information: | The SSC is renowned for its bloated chain of command and for competition between local and national branches. Many local SSC units act independently and follow former local brigade lines. According to Wikipedia, the SSC was dissolved in 2011 into the Interior Ministry and relabeled Special Deterrence Force (Wikipedia RADA Special Deterrence Force). Other sources speak of a continued existence; dissolution does not seem to have been complete, so this Wikipedia information was not used for coding. |
| References: |
Wikipedia. “Ministry of Interior (Libya)”. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ministry_of_Interior_(Libya)&oldid=895785332 Wikipedia. “RADA Special Deterrence Force”. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=RADA_Special_Deterrence_Forces&oldid=966605459 |