other · Egypt, North Africa and Sudan

Fezzan-Ghadames Military Territory

1943 CE – 1951 CE · capital Sabha

The Libyan Fezzan under Free French military administration after its capture by Leclerc's forces from Chad, until Libyan independence in 1951.

Origins

In late 1942 and January 1943 Free French forces under Philippe Leclerc advanced from Chad (French colony) and took the Fezzan from Italian Libya. France administered it as a military territory together with the oasis of Ghadames, with Sabha as its centre.

Rule and society

French officers governed in cooperation with the Sayf al-Nasr family, whose leader Ahmad Sayf al-Nasr acted as chief of the territory. Parts were administratively linked to French Algeria and southern Tunisia. France hoped to keep the region to secure links between its North and Central African colonies.

Decline and legacy

The United Nations decided in 1949 that Libya should become independent. The Fezzan joined the federal Kingdom of Libya at independence in December 1951 as one of its three provinces, though French troops stayed until 1956.

Lineage

Connections (1)

  • Fezzan-Ghadames Military Territory was part of French Empire1943 CE – 1951 CE

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Cite this page
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Fezzan-Ghadames Military Territory. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/fezzan-ghadames-military-territory
MLA
“Fezzan-Ghadames Military Territory.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/fezzan-ghadames-military-territory. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Fezzan-Ghadames Military Territory.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/fezzan-ghadames-military-territory.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Fezzan-Ghadames Military Territory’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/fezzan-ghadames-military-territory (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻