libyens kris

Khalid al-Mishri, the chairman of Libya's Supreme Prime Minister, called on rival Prime Minister Fathi Bashagha to resign, while urging Tripoli-based Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah to accept change, as France urged all parties to refrain from violence. Al-Mishri noted that Bashagha tried to form his government in Tripoli in a fait accompli, as he said he rejected the attempt. Al-Mishri accused Bashagha and Dbeibah of refusing to hold elections even after five years, saying he urges the former to…

Rival Prime Minister Fathi Bashagha, who was appointed by the parliament of Eastern pro-Putist General Khalifa Haftar, said he would establish his government in the city of Sirte after clashes broke out during his attempt to place his government in Tripoli. Bashagha said he believed in the democratic process and the peaceful transfer of government. He said his government would start working from Sirte and enter Tripoli only in peaceful ways. Clashes broke out in Tripoli between armed groups loyal to…

Libya's parliament wants the government it has appointed under Fathi Bashagha to be based in Sirte for the time being, it said on Tuesday, amid a stalemate over control of the capital Tripoli where another administration refuses to hand over power. The move represents the clearest recognition since parliament appointed Bashagha in March that he could not take over in Tripoli yet with Libya paralyzed by the crisis of two governments. The stalemate between Bashagha and Abdul Hamid Dbeibah, who was…

Washington called on the rival sides in Libya to agree on a constitutional basis for holding the country's long-awaited general election. US Ambassador to Libya Richard Norland held talks with Khalid al-Mishri, the head of the Supreme Government, in the Egyptian capital Cairo. "We agreed on the need to support the UN-led process which is intended to lead to parliamentary and presidential elections as soon as possible as required by Libyan voters," Norland said in a statement from the US Embassy. The…

The UN Security Council voted to extend the UN political mandate in Libya by three months, as the United States and Britain accused Russia of blocking a longer and more comprehensive mandate that would include conciliation between the country's rival authorities claiming power. Russia's UN Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said that Moscow insisted on a three-month extension to pressure UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to immediately appoint a new Special Representative for the mission, known as UNSMIL.…

An armed convoy attached to Libya's parliamentary-backed Prime Minister Fathi Bashagha moved towards Tripoli on Thursday before returning when he was about to take the lead in the capital, despite the incumbent refusing to relinquish power. Parliament swore in Bashagha as prime minister a week ago, and he said on Tuesday that he would arrive in Tripoli within two days and promised to take over the government there in peace. An attempt to install Bashagha in the capital, however, could lead to clashes…

Libya has appointed an ambassador to Qatar for the first time in six years, sources said on Tuesday. Mohamed al-Lafi, one of the celebrities in the western city of al-Zawiyah, was named ambassador to the Gulf nation, the source told Anadolu Agency (AA). Al-Lafi has been a delegate to the UN-sponsored Libyan Political Dialogue Forum since 2020, which contributed to the formation of the current interim executive branch in Libya. He also held various government positions, including the Chief of Staff of…

A long ceasefire has revived Tripoli's Algeria Square, its roundabout replanted with grass and customers lingering into the night at Aurora Cafe, but Libya's new crisis with two governments threatens to undo that peace. Home to the town hall, the post office and a mosque transformed from the colonial-era Italian cathedral, Algeria Square plays a major role in the capital's social life. But it is also close to likely front lines in a battle that many Libyans fear may soon erupt. Opposition escalated…

Libya's parliament swore in a rival cabinet on Thursday in an attempt to oust the unity government, a move that has raised fears of another major schism in the war-torn country. The assembly, based in eastern Libya, had last month commissioned former Interior Minister Fathi Bashagha to form a government. It raised the prospect of a settlement with the Western, Tripoli-based administration of Abdul Hamid Mohammed Dbeibah, who has refused to hand over power to anything other than an elected government.…

Libya's parliament said on Thursday that it would hold a session next week in which it would likely vote to confirm a new interim government, even though the current administration has promised it will not hand over power. One year after a unity government was installed in Tripoli and two months after a planned election was called off due to discussions about the rules, the dispute over how to proceed to overthrow Libya is back in disarray. Former Interior Minister Fathi Bashagha, the man appointed by…