Libyans Protest Violence Following Militia Clashes
Thousands of Libyans took to the streets of the capital Tripoli over the weekend, demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah after a week of deadly clashes, unrest that prompted the resignation of government ministers and raised fears of renewed instability in the war-scarred country, Al Jazeera reported.
On Friday, protesters marched in the capital denouncing the failure of Dbeibah’s internationally-recognized Government of National Unity (GNU) to provide security and its delay in holding long-promised elections. Authorities said one police officer died during what they described as an “attempted assault” on the prime minister’s office.
At least three ministers resigned in sympathy with the protesters. The government initially denied their resignations but later confirmed them through videos released by the ministers.
The demonstrations followed intense fighting in Tripoli earlier in the week that killed at least eight civilians.
The clashes erupted after the assassination of prominent militia leader Abdulghani Kikli – known as Ghaniwa – and the dismantling of his Stabilization Support Apparatus (SSA) by armed factions aligned with the GNU.
A ceasefire was announced Wednesday, but tensions remained high with the United Nations Support Mission in Libya urging parties to protect civilians and public property.
On Saturday, Dbeibah defended his crackdown on armed groups, insisting that eliminating militias and corruption remains an “ongoing project,” Reuters wrote.
He warned that the government “will not spare anyone who continues to engage in corruption or extortion,” adding that the recent security operations were part of a broader plan to restore state control over security forces.
Libya has remained fractured since the 2011 NATO-backed uprising that toppled autocrat Muammar Gaddafi, with rival governments entrenched in the west and east of the country.
While Dbeibah’s GNU controls western Libya, commander Khalifa Haftar’s forces dominate the east.
National elections originally scheduled for late 2021 remain indefinitely postponed because of legal and political disputes.
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