The situation in Zawiya has been tense since Sunday after "intermittent clashes between armed groups and the blocking of roads and access to the town," a local security source said on condition of anonymity. Residents of the western Libyan town of Zawiya protested on Thursday against local armed groups following fighting between them, amid tensions involving migrants from sub-Saharan countries, local sources said. The exact cause of the fighting is not known. Local security officials did not specify the cause, but said it was linked to a raid by law enforcement officials on "places where armed illegal immigrants gather".

Located 45 kilometres west of the capital, Zawiya is one of the departure points to Europe for boats of illegal migrants, particularly from sub-Saharan Africa, who work in the city while waiting for a crossing. These migrants have found themselves at the heart of the latest tensions between Libyan armed groups after videos were posted on social networks showing acts of torture and humiliation against Libyans by people portrayed as "African mercenaries", who were allegedly recruited by rival militias in the city.

According to Mohamad al-Khabouli, a representative of a group of "Youth of Zawiya", residents forced the closure of the municipal council's headquarters and blocked access to the oil refinery and the eastern entrance to the city, to protest against armed groups protesting against migrants accused of being involved in the alleged torture.

On Wednesday night, after the videos were released, angry residents gathered in the city centre, blocking roads and burning tyres, demanding justice and the expulsion of the migrants. The spokesman for another youth movement said "the instability and insecurity in the city is the result of the indifference of the national unity government", based in Tripoli.

The city's authorities and the government in Tripoli have not officially reacted to the incidents.