Pro-Government Militias
Supreme Security Committee (SSC) (Libya)
Basic Group Information
| Name assigned by coder: | no |
| PGM ID Number: | 607 |
| Country: | Libya |
| Date formed: | Nov. 1, 2011 |
| Accuracy of date formed: | month |
| 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. |
| Date dissolved: | Unknown |
| Accuracy of date dissolved: | day |
| 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. |
| Termination Type(s): | not terminated |
Former and Successor Group Information
| Predecessor group(s): | none |
| Successor group(s): | none |
| Private Military Company? | no |
| Former Group? | no |
| Former Armed Group? | no |
| Former Rebel Group? | no |
| Former Rebel Group UCDP ID: | none |
| PGM Becomes Rebel Group? | no |
| Successor Rebel Group UCDP ID: | none |
Government Relation, Support, and Training
| Government Relation: | semi-official (type 2) |
| Created by the Government?: | yes | Main Creating Government Institution: | state (institution) |
| Government Link(s): | state (institution) |
| If link to party, name of party: | None |
| Training and Equipment: | unclear |
| Shared Information and Joint Operations: | no |
| Shared Personnel: | unclear |
| Type(s) of Material Support: | unclear |
| State Sponsor(s): | none |
| Other Connection(s): |
Group Characteristics
| Membership: | religious; former rebels |
| Primary Membership: | local |
| Alternative Primary Membership: | no information |
| Location: | Tripoli, Derna, major cities |
| Force Strength: | [90000, 131000] |
| Target(s): | criminals; rebels, insurgents, or other armed group; religious group |
| Purpose(s): | protect state, national or religious institutions; anti crime; fight insurgents |
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 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. |
New Variables from Meta-Analysis
Purpose
| 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. |
| Relative Benefit(s) of PGM Use | faster mobilization; coup-proofing |
Treatment of Civilians
| Treatment of Civilians: | |
| Type(s) of Violence against Civilians: | unknown |
Reasons for Membership
| PGM Members Coerced? | no information |
| PGM Members Paid? | yes |
| Reasons 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. |
| PGM Members Killed? | no information |
PGM Size
| 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. |
Weapons and Training
| Weapons and Training: |
Organisation
| 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. |
Reference(s) for Meta-Analysis
Evidence
- Examine the evidence for this coding.