Since March, two governments have again been vying for power, one in Tripoli under Abdelhamid Dbayba, who took over in 2021, the other in eastern Libya, under Fathi Batsaga, who is supported by Marshal Khalifa Haftar.
Furious about what’s going on political impasseprotesters took to the streets again yesterday Sunday in Libyaamid concern about a further escalation of unrest.
Video uploaded to social networking sites shows a crowd of young people protesting in front of the presidency council in Tripoli holding placards with slogans demanding that he resign.
Citizens also gathered to protest in other areas of Tripoli, setting fire to car tires and demanding an end to frequent power outages amid the heat wave, witnesses said.
فيديو > عرض الحرب ” عرض الحرب ” #ترابلس From before the protestors, they denounced the poor state of life and services, and demanded the removal of the governments, the presidency, the parliament, and the state. #Libya #المصرد pic.twitter.com/HMjMjidwzH
— المرصد اللبيية (@ObservatoryLY) July 3, 2022
According to information, similar mobilizations took place in Zliten and in Misrata (west).
The new protests came after angry citizens stormed the parliament building in the eastern city of Tobruk and set part of it on fire on Friday. The violent incidents coincided with a series of protests in the oil-exporting north African country, which has continued to be in chaos since the 2011 ouster of Muammar Gaddafi.
The United Nations noted that the Secretary General Antonio Guterres closely monitors developments. He is concerned and calls on the participants in the demonstrations to refrain from violence and the security forces to show restraint, according to a press release issued by his spokesman, Stephane Dujarric.
Undermined by east-west conflicts, Libya, the country with the largest hydrocarbon deposits in Africa, remains caught in the grip of an intractable institutional crisis.
Since March, two governments have again been vying for power, one in Tripoli under Abdelhamid Dbayba, who took over in 2021, the other in eastern Libya, under Fathi Batsaga, who is supported by Marshal Khalifa Haftar.
The political crisis, mid-summer blackouts due to a large reduction in natural gas production due to the occupation of facilities, and the deterioration of Libyan living standards have enraged much of the population.
The presidential and parliamentary elections that were supposed to be held in December 2021 did not take place.
Talks by the rival sides organized last week by the UN in Geneva ended without an agreement.
RES-EMP
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