Emad al-Trabelsi, the Interior Minister of the Government of National Unity (GNU), has once again found himself within the good graces of Libya’s most important foreign axes, Washington and Ankara.
Al-Trabelsi and his brother Abdullah, both hailing from the city of Zintan, are influential figures in western Libya’s security architecture, controlling a portion of the capital, Tripoli. They had been mainstays of the GNU’s security scene alongside other figures such as 444th Brigade Commander Mahmoud Hamza.
However, fighting within the capital city last summer, the inexperience and lack of discipline among his soldiers, and the embrace of U.S. Senior Adviser for Africa Massad Boulos’ political process by 111th Brigade Commander Abdulsalam al-Zoubi, led to his sidelining.
However, with the U.S.-backed talks stalling amid Libya’s political attrition, al-Trabelsi has reinserted himself into the conversation, gaining audiences with senior U.S. and Turkish officials as someone who can speed up the security track.
Fall from grace
Al-Trabelsi, appointed Minister of Interior in 2022, became one of the main security players in Tripoli’s divided security structure, alongside Hamza, al-Zoubi, Special Deterrence Forces, also known as Radaa, commander Abdul-Rauf al-Kara, and Stability Support Apparatus commander Abdel Ghani al-Kikli, aka Ghneiwa.
Alongside Hamza, al-Trabelsi was one of GNU Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dabaiba’s main allies and helped maintain his government in the city. In May 2025, when Dabaiba built a coalition to kill Ghneiwa and divide his territory, al-Trabelsi was one of the security leaders who joined and benefited from the operation, gaining land and authority in the city.
However, when Dabaiba and Hamza attempted to immediately dismantle Radaa, launching a failed offensive to capture its military camps, the city and international community balked. A ceasefire was signed, and during that period, frustrations between Dabaiba and al-Trabelsi began to mount.
