The North Africa Journal – June 12, 2017: Tracking and understanding the various militias and insurgent groups involved in the Libya conflict is no trivial exercise. This is because the situation shifts quickly in reaction to the many events that force continuous changes on the ground. Take for example the so-called Rada Special Forces (RSF). They became more visible to many after they captured Hachem Abedi, the brother of the man who murdered 22 people and injured 59 others in a terror attack in Manchester, UK on May 22. Rada, which is loyal to the government of Fayez al-Sarraj, and is led by Abdel Raouf Kara, has been behind the dismantling of the Islamic State presence in the Tripolitanian region of Libya (west). The group comprises of 1,500 men, who essentially control the only airport in Tripoli, as well as the one in Matiga. But like many militias, it is highly religious and conservative, defining itself as Salafist. Yet the name was not on too many people’s minds, highlighting the complexity of the Libyan crisis.
