Libyan Army Chief Resigns After 31 Killed in Benghazi

Libyan Army Chief of Staff Maj. Gen. Youssef al-Mangoush resigned on Sunday, June 9, following violence on Saturday that took 31 lives in Benghazi.

According to ABC News, the violence started when protesters stormed the grounds of a largely Islamist militia–Libya Shield–and demanded “they submit to the full authority of Libya’s security forces or lay down their arms.”

Clashes ensued, with the subsequent death and violence exasperating public frustration over the post-Gaddafi government’s “failure to build an army capable of reining in the militias that dominate parts of the country.”

Although Libya Shield is referred to as a militia, it is also a state-sanctioned brigade. It was one of twelve brigades that were under Mangoush’s command. 

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