17 February Martyrs Brigade (Libya)
Basic Group Information
| Name assigned by coder: |
no
|
| PGM ID Number: |
603
|
| Country: |
Libya |
| Date formed: |
Aug. 23, 2011 |
| Accuracy of date formed: |
day
|
| Details of Formation: |
The group fought against Gaddafi during the revolution in 2011. It became pro-government when the National Transitional Council took over in August 2011. |
| Date dissolved: |
Aug. 4, 2014 |
| Accuracy of date dissolved: |
day
|
| Details of Termination: |
The Brigade joined the Shura Council of Benghazi Revolutionaries that fought against the National Libyan Army of General Haftar. Haftar was then involved in an operation against the GNC government. The Brigade stayed loyal to the Shura Council even after the change in government when the House of Representatives (HoR) took over. The Shura Council was then engaged in attacks against the HoR government. The group ended as a PGM in August 2014. In 2016, the Brigade was characterized by Libyan prosecution and media as terrorist group (Human Rights Watch 2016). |
| Termination Type(s): |
change in government
|
Former and Successor Group Information
| Predecessor group(s): |
none
|
| Successor group(s): |
none
|
| Private Military Company? |
no |
| Former Group? |
yes |
| Former Armed Group? |
yes |
| Former Rebel Group? |
yes |
| Former Rebel Group UCDP ID: |
4369 |
| PGM Becomes Rebel Group? |
yes |
| Successor Rebel Group UCDP ID: |
4369 |
Government Relation, Support, and Training
| Government Relation: |
semi-official (type 2) |
| Created by the Government?: |
no |
Main Creating Government Institution: |
none
|
| Government Link(s): |
state (institution)
|
| If link to party, name of party: |
None |
| Training and Equipment: |
yes |
| Shared Information and Joint Operations: |
no information |
| Shared Personnel: |
no information |
| Type(s) of Material Support: |
domestic government
|
| State Sponsor(s): |
none
|
| Other Connection(s): |
|
Group Characteristics
Ethnic Characteristics
| Ethnic Target(s): |
none
|
| Quality of Information for Ethnic Targeting: |
not applicable
|
| Ethnic Membership: |
none
|
| Quality of Information for Ethnic Membership: |
not applicable
|
| Ethnic Purpose: |
none
|
| Quality of Information for Ethnic Purpose: |
not applicable
|
Other Information
| Other Information: |
The UCDP actor ID of the “PGM Becomes Rebel Group?” variable refers to the Shura Council of Benghazi Revolutionaries that the 17 February Martyrs Brigade belonged to. |
New Variables from Meta-Analysis
Purpose
| Purpose: |
The main purpose of this group was to secure law and order in Libya (Wikipedia). This implied quelling clashes between ethnic groups fighting each other. |
| Relative Benefit(s) of PGM Use |
unknown
|
Treatment of Civilians
| Treatment of Civilians: |
|
| Type(s) of Violence against Civilians: |
unknown
|
Reasons for Membership
| PGM Members Coerced? |
no information |
| PGM Members Paid? |
no information |
| Reasons for Membership: |
|
| PGM Members Killed? |
rarely |
PGM Size
| Size: |
The membership was estimated at between 1,500 and 3,500 (Wikipedia) |
Weapons and Training
| Weapons and Training: |
The group was considered to be the best armed militia in eastern Libya. It had light and heavy weapons and training facilities (Wikipedia). |
Organisation
| Organisation: |
The Brigade received funding by the Libyan defense ministry (Wikipedia). It was sometimes deployed as part of Libyan Shield Force (PGM). Its leader was Fawzi Bukatif who was Libya’s Ambassador to Uganda. |
Reference(s) for Meta-Analysis
Human Rights Watch. 2014. “Counting the Dead in Benghazi.“ https://www.hrw.org/news/2014/06/06/counting-dead-benghazi
Human Rights Watch. 2016. “UAE: Libyans Facing Unfair Trial. Tortured, Denied Access to Lawyers, Defendants Say.” https://www.hrw.org/news/2016/02/04/uae-libyans-facing-unfair-trial
Wikipedia. “February 17th Martyrs Brigade“. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=February_17th_Martyrs_Brigade&oldid=939348720
Evidence
