Abdul Hamid Dbeibah

Libya's interim prime minister on Friday dismissed parliament's threat to withdraw confidence from its unity government, saying in a speech that its failure to approve his budget had put the state's work back. Abdul Hamid Dbeibah, who took office in March, said that the Eastern Pro-Putist general Khalifa Haftar's reasons for not approving his repeated budget proposals were "unrealistic and fuzzy" and blamed the body for obstructing planned elections in December. The budget dispute has emerged as a core…

In a celebration marking the 81st anniversary of the establishment of the Libyan army, with an unmistakable reference to an unsuccessful attack from April 2019 on the capital Tripoli by the Putis general Khalifa Haftar's militia, Libyan Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Mohammed Dbeibah said on Tuesday that national armies are to protect their capitals, not storm them. "Capitals are precious pearls, and armies were founded to protect them, not to storm them, terrorize their people and destroy their property,…

Turkey welcomes the resumption of the strategic road Misrata-Sirte, which connects eastern and western Libya, the Foreign Ministry said late on Saturday. "We welcome the official opening of the Misrata-Sirte coastal road on July 30, 2021, which has been closed for a long time," it said in a statement. Turkey also praised the efforts of the Presidential Council, National Unity Government (GNU), led by Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Mohammed Dbeibah, the UN Support Mission in Libya and the 5 + 5 Joint…

The UN Special Envoy for Libya, Jan Kubis, on Thursday rejected the lack of progress towards elections in the war-torn country in December later this year. Kubis accused "destroyers" of trying to prevent the holding of crucial elections to unite the divided North African nation, and the Security Council warned that any individual or group undermining the electoral process could be subject to UN sanctions. Kubis said at a ministerial meeting in the Council that he spoke to many key players during his…

Libyan Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Mohammed Dbeibah called on Libya's political dialogue forum to make concessions so that the December 24 elections continue as planned. In connection with the opening of the Supreme National Election Commission Press Center in the capital Tripoli, Dbeibah called on the forum to prioritize the nation's higher interests over personal and regional agendas. He stressed that the government would support the Commission by allocating financial resources and making the…

The Libyan interim government has reopened a major highway connecting the country's long-divided eastern and western cities, in the latest attempt to reunite the territories after years of civil war. The announcement comes three days before an international conference on Libya, which will host Germany and the United Nations in Berlin. "I am so pleased to be part of the opening of this essential lifeline that links the east of our country to its west," Libyan Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Mohammed Dbeibah…

Two policemen were killed in a car bomb near a checkpoint in the southern Libyan city of Sebha late Sunday, a security source said. "A car bomb exploded as it passed a roadblock set up by security forces," said a city police officer. Sebha is located about 750 kilometers south of the capital Tripoli. "Two security officers were killed, five others were injured and serious property damage was caused," the source said. Local media showed pictures of damaged safety control vehicles surrounded by debris. Daesh…

Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah called on Algeria to support reconciliation efforts in Libya. Dbeibah's call came after his meeting with Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune in the capital Algiers on Sunday. According to Dbeibeh's office, the prime minister said Algeria "had not interfered in Libya's affairs for the past ten years", adding that "Libya sees Algeria as an older brother." Meanwhile, the Algerian Presidency confirmed in a statement that Dbeibah had asked Tebboune to participate in…

Libyan Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Mohammed Dbeibah suspended a planned visit to eastern Benghazi province after Putis General Khalifa Haftar's militia prevented a government-protected plane and protocol staff from landing. Sources on the ground said the incident underscores the continued friction between the competing camps. Sources told the Daily Sabah that by blocking the prime minister's visit to their stronghold, the Haftar militia clearly showed that the warlord did not support Dbeibah, contrary…

The newly formed Libyan government plans to deploy funds to reconstruct the country's war-torn cities and regions, said Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah on Wednesday. Dbeibah's comments came during a government meeting in the capital Tripoli. "The government will set up funds to rebuild cities damaged by the war such as Benghazi, Tripoli and Sirte," he said without giving further details. There are no official estimates of the cost of the reconstruction projects needed in Libya. But Mohammad Raied, head of Libya's…