Libya’s new interim prime minister, Abdul Hamid Dbeibah, will be sworn in on Monday to lead the war – torn country’s transition to elections in December after years of chaos and division.
The North African nation came into conflict after dictator Moammar Gadhafi was overthrown and killed in a NATO uprising in 2011, which resulted in several forces competing for power.
A UN-supervised process aims to unite the country and build on a ceasefire in October between rival administrations in the country’s east and west.
Dbeibah, elected at UN-sponsored talks in February along with an interim three-member council, will take the oath in the eastern city of Tobruk.
More than 1,000 kilometers (630 miles) from the capital, Tripoli in the west, Tobruk has been the seat of Libya’s elected parliament since 2014.
Dbeibah’s swearing comes after parliament approved its cabinet last week, in a move hailed by key leaders and foreign powers as “historic.”
His government includes two deputy prime ministers, 26 ministers and six prime ministers, with the most important portfolios for foreign affairs and justice for women, a first in Libya.
“This will be the government of all Libyans,” Dbeibah said after the vote. “Libya is united.”
Dbeibah’s administration is expected to replace both the UN-recognized National Accord Government (GNA), based in Tripoli, and a parallel cabinet headquartered in the east under de facto control of the forces of Putschist General Khalifa Haftar.
Turkey has supported GNA, while Haftar’s administration has drawn support from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Egypt, France and Russia.
The outgoing GNA chief Fayez Sarraj has said he is “fully ready to hand over” power, while Haftar last month offered “support from the armed forces for the peace process.”
But the new boss faces daunting challenges in uniting the country’s institutions, ending a decade of international strife and preparing for the December 24 elections.
The European Union warned last week that it could sanction domestic or foreign “spoilers” that undermine peace efforts.
Dbeibah, 61, a wealthy businessman from the western port city of Misrata, once held positions under Gadhafi but has not shown a clear ideological position.
Under Gaddafi’s rule, Misrata experienced an industrial and economic boom, which benefited the Dbeibah family and many others.
He holds a master’s degree from the University of Toronto in engineering, and his expertise introduced him to Gaddafi’s inner circle and led him to head a company that led major construction projects.
Foreign mercenaries
Dbeibah was considered an outsider compared to other candidates vying for the job, and his election process has been marred by accusations of vote-buying.
But Dbeibah jumped into his role even before its inauguration, including promising to fight the coronavirus crisis and take action against corruption by freezing state-owned investment funds.
But after 42 years of dictatorship under Gadhafi and a decade of violence, the list of challenges is long.
The population of 7 million, which sits on top of Africa’s largest proven crude oil reserves, is in a serious economic crisis with high unemployment, crippling inflation and endemic corruption.
Libya also suffers from miserable public services, including regular power outages and water shortages.
Another important task will be to secure the departure of an estimated 20,000 mercenaries and foreign fighters still in the country, whom Dbeibah has called “a stab in the back”.
The deadline for the alienation of foreign mercenaries from Libya during the ceasefire in October passed in January, but calls to speed up the process continue as no movement has been announced or observed on the ground.
Foreign mercenaries and weapons have flowed into the country since Haftar began its offensive, with Russia and the United Arab Emirates acting as the putschist general’s best suppliers against legitimate GNA and Tripoli in 2019.
On Friday, the UN Security Council urged all foreign forces to leave “without further delay.”
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