What follows is a group-by-group breakdown of Libya Dawn and Operation Dignity, the two rival visions fueling the Libyan civil war in 2015:

Libya Dawn

Libya Dawn is a broad umbrella group of Islamist and local militias that coalesced in response to General Haftar’s ‘Operation Dignity’ campaign targeting Islamist groups. It was originally formed by elements of the Misrata militias but has now come to incorporate a broad spectrum of Libya’s tribal and paramilitary outfits. Libya Dawn is based out of Tripoli and champions the “new” General National Congress which was re-instituted by force after many of its members suffered a stunning defeat in June 2014 elections.

The Libya Dawn consists of the following groups:

  • Libyan Shield Militia: A Muslim Brotherhood-affiliated militia with an air of government legitimacy. Formed by the General National Congress (GNC) out of various smaller militias as an early way to solidify central state power amidst Libya’s tribal landscape, the Shield Militia is currently divided into four brigades operating in Misrata, Benghazi, Khoms, and Tripoli.
  • The Tripoli Brigade: A brigade founded by formerly Ireland-based Mahdi al-Harati in April 2011 to participate in the war against Gaddafi. After Gaddafi’s fall, al-Harati served as deputy head of the Tripoli Military Council (TMC) before heading to Syria to organize rebels in their fight against the al-Assad regime. The Tripoli Brigade is close to the al-Watan Party, a party calling for Islamic democracy and a constitution based on Sharia law in Libya. As the name implies, the brigade is primarily active in Tripoli.
  • Libya Revolutionaries Operations Room (LROR): Another Muslim Brotherhood-affiliated militia, it was tasked by the GNC in 2013 with providing services generally associated with a national military force, in this case the protection of Tripoli. The LROR was relieved of its official duties after it kidnapped Prime Minister Ali Zeidan in 2013, some say at the behest of political elements linked to the Muslim Brotherhood. Fast forward to the present, the group is now active once more in Libya Dawn-controlled Tripoli as well as Benghazi to the east.