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After the Fall: Libya's 12 16 16 After the Fall TheLibya’s HeadstampThe Evolving12 Headstamp Armed Trail Groups Trail An AssessmentAn Assessment of Small-calibre of Small-calibre AmmunitionBy Brian McQuinnAmmunitionAfter Found the in Found FallLibya in Libya Libya’s Evolving Armed Groups by N.R. Jenzen-Jonesby N.R. Jenzen-Jones By Brian McQuinn A Working Paper of the A Working Paper ofSmall the Arms Survey Small Arms Survey A Working Working Paper PaperA of of Working thethe SmallSmall Paper Arms Arms of Survey theSurvey Small // Security SecurityArms Survey Assessment Assessment / Security in in North North Assessment Africa Africa project, project,in North Africa project, with supportsupport fromfromwith the the support Federal Swiss Federalfrom Foreign the Department OfficeSwiss Federalof Germany. of ForeignDepartment Affairs of Foreignand the AffairsNetherlands and the Netherlands Ministry of ForeignMinistry Affairs. of Foreign Affairs. Copyright Published in Switzerland by the Small Arms Survey © Small Arms Survey, Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies, Geneva 2012 First published in October 2012 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without the prior permission in writing of the Small Arms Survey, or as expressly permitted by law, or under terms agreed with the appropriate reprographics rights organi- zation. Enquiries concerning reproduction outside the scope of the above should be sent to the Publications Manager, Small Arms Survey, at the address below. Small Arms Survey Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies 47 Avenue Blanc, 1202 Geneva, Switzerland Copyedited by Tania Inowlocki Proofread by Donald Strachan Cartography by MAPgrafix Typeset in Optima and Palatino by Richard Jones ([email protected]), Exile: Design & Editorial Services Printed in France by GPS ISBN 978-2-9700816-6-1 2 Small Arms Survey Working Paper 12 McQuinn After the Fall 3 About the Small Arms Survey The Small Arms Survey is anan independentindependent research project located at the Graduate Institute Institute of of International International and and Development Development Studies Studies in Geneva, in Geneva, Swit- Switzerland.zerland. Established It serves in as 1999 the, theprincipal project international is supported sourceby the ofSwiss public Federal infor - mationDepartment on all of aspectsForeign Affairsof small and arms current and contributions armed violence from and the Governmentsas a resource forof Australia, governments, Belgium, policy-makers, Canada, Denmark, researchers, Finland, and Germany, activists. the Netherlands, AboutNorway, the Sweden, Security the Assessment United Kingdom, in North and Africa the United States. The Survey is grateful for past support received from the Governments of France, New Zealand, and Spain. The Survey also wishes to acknowledge the financial assistance it has received over the years from different United Nations agencies, programmes, and institutes. About The objectives the Securityof the Small Arms Assessment Survey are: to bein the North principal Africa source of public information on all aspects of small arms and armed violence; to serve as a resource centre for governments, policy-makers, researchers, and activ- Theists; toSecurity monitor Assessment national and in international North Africa initiatives is a multi-year (governmental project ofand the non- Smallgovernmental) Arms Survey on small that arms; supports to support those efforts engaged to address in building the effects a more of smallsecure environmentarms proliferation in North and misuse;Africa and and theto act Sahel-Sahara as a clearinghouse region. forIt produces the sharing timely,of information evidence-based and the dissemination research and of analysis best practices. on the Theavailability Survey also and spon circu- - lationsors field of smallresearch arms, and theinformation-gathering dynamics of emerging efforts, armed especially groups, in affected and related states insecurity.and regions. The project receives core funding from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs The project of the has Netherlands. an international In addition, staff with expertisethis publication in security benefits studies, from political specificscience, law,support economics, from the development Federal Foreign studies, Office sociology, of Germany. and criminology, and collaborates with a network of researchers, partner institutions, non-governmental organizations, and governments in more than 50 countries. Small Arms Survey Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies 47 Avenue Blanc, 1202 Geneva, Switzerland p +41 22 908 5777 f +41 22 732 2738 e [email protected] w www.smallarmssurvey.org 2 Small Arms Survey Working Paper 12 McQuinn After the Fall 3 Contents List of boxes, tables, and illustrations .................................................................................................................................... 5 List of abbreviations .............................................................................................................................................................................................. 6 About the author .......................................................................................................................................................................................................... 7 Acknowledgements ................................................................................................................................................................................................ 8 Introduction ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 10 Background 10 Research objectives and findings 12 Methodology 13 Report structure 13 Typology of non-state armed groups in Libya ................................................................................................. 15 Three defining characteristics 15 The four types of armed group 17 The development of armed groups in Misrata ................................................................................................. 33 Stage 1: initial success 34 Stage 2: the occupation of Tripoli Street 37 Stage 3: the emergence of brigade structures 39 Weapons proliferation .................................................................................................................................................................................... 43 Small arms and light weapons 43 Conventional weapons 48 Internal regulation 49 Inspection visits 50 Conclusion ........................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 56 Endnotes .................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 58 Bibliography ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 62 4 Small Arms Survey Working Paper 12 McQuinn After the Fall 5 List of boxes, tables, and illustrations Map Libya, 2012 Box 1 Security provision during municipal elections in Misrata Box 2 Controlling the al-Swehli Brigade Table 1 The 236 brigades by size of membership Table 2 Anti-aircraft machine guns in Misrata based on brigade size Figure 1 MoI and MMC document assigning brigades responsibility for spe- cific polling stations and checkpoints Figure 2 Weapon sign-out form and pledge of good conduct Figure 3 Number of small arms in Misrata during the first and second stages of fighting, 2011 Figure 4 Number of combatants in Misrata Figure 5 Number of small arms vs. number of fighters, 2011 Figure 6 Assault rifle individually labelled with brigade member’s name 4 Small Arms Survey Working Paper 12 McQuinn After the Fall 5 List of abbreviations MMC Misratan Military Council MoD Ministry of Defence MoI Ministry of Interior MUR Misratan Union of Revolutionaries NATO North Atlantic Treaty Organization NTC National Transitional Council RPG Rocket-propelled grenade (launcher) 6 Small Arms Survey Working Paper 12 McQuinn After the Fall 7 About the author Brian McQuinn is a research associate at the Geneva-based Centre on Conflict, Development and Peacebuilding and a doctoral candidate at the University of Oxford. His research investigates how organizational rituals shape the social structure and cohesion of non-state armed groups in civil wars. Prior to return- ing to academia, he worked as a dialogue specialist for more than 14 years in conflict-affected countries, with the UN and other international organizations. He serves as a lead trainer for the UN System Staff College course on applied conflict analysis for prevention and peacebuilding. 6 Small Arms Survey Working Paper 12 McQuinn After the Fall 7 Acknowledgements The author is grateful to the Berghof Foundation for its generous support of his doctoral fieldwork, which serves as the basis for this report. He is particu- larly thankful for the intellectual support provided by Véronique Dudouet at Berghof
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