A bid by one of Libya's rival prime ministers to seat his government in the capital of Tripoli sparked violence between rival militias on Tuesday, forcing the newly appointed prime minister to flee the city.
The development highlighted the fragile nature of the situation in the war-torn country, with both rival prime ministers blaming the other for the escalation.
Prime Minister Fathi Bashagha arrived in Tripoli early Tuesday with a number of Cabinet colleagues, according to his office, three months after being appointed to lead an interim administration.
The decision is likely to exacerbate tensions between Libya's rival governments, as local media reported skirmishes between militias and rival forces in central Tripoli and elsewhere in the city early this morning.
The administration of Libyan Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah, located in Tripoli, condemned Bashagha, describing Tuesday's events as a "desperate attempt to spread violence and instability" in the Libyan capital – a reference to Bashagha.
According to videos released by local media, Debeibah was seen examining damage caused by violence in Tripoli and speaking with civilians on the streets.
Residents across the city reported hearing a lot of shooting. Salim Ahmed, a schoolteacher, claimed, "There was firing and gunfire everywhere." Some schools in Tripoli have cancelled classes.
Bashagha and his ministers eventually left Tripoli, according to his office, "for the sake of people' security and safety and to end the killing." Bashagha said that they entered the city "peacefully, without resorting to violence," but that they were faced with a "serious military escalation" from armed forces loyal to his competitor.
Bashagha invaded the city with the Nawasi Brigade militia, according to a Western ambassador in Tripoli, but they were met with heavy opposition from militias loyal to Dbeibah.
According to the diplomat, who requested anonymity to speak about the events, another militia known as the 444 Brigades mediated between the competitors and secured Bashagha's exit.
The U.N. Secretary-General Special Adviser on Libya, Stephanie Williams, called on rival parties to engage in talks to resolve their disputes.
“Conflict cannot be solved with violence, but with dialogue and mediation,” she tweeted, adding that the United Nations is ready to host all parties “in helping Libya find a genuine, consensual way forward towards stability and elections.”
The country's east-based parliament named Bashagha, a former interior minister, as prime minister in February. However, Dbeibah, a powerful businessman, has refused to stand down, claiming that he will only hand over power to a democratically elected administration. Dbeibah was appointed last year in a UN-led process marred by allegations of bribery and corruption to lead the country through elections scheduled for December but never held. Both inpiduals are from Misrata, a strong city in western Libya.
Libya expert Jalel Harchaoui said the violence that erupted during Bashagha's brief stay in Tripoli indicated his "obvious failure." According to Harchaoui, Dbeibah has the support of well-financed armed groups — not only in the capital but also in Misrata — who are fierce opponents of Khalifa Hifter, the east-based military leader with whom Bashagha is currently linked.
The current violence is expected to derail ongoing talks on constitutional revisions for elections in Egypt's capital between the east-based parliament and the High Council of State, an advisory body from western Libya.
Libya's opponents were pushed by the US Embassy to agree on a "constitutional basis leading to presidential and parliamentary elections in a realistic but aggressive timeframe."
"Letting Libyans choose their leaders is the only realistic way to legitimate leadership." It tweeted, "The constitutional negotiations in Cairo are now more crucial than ever."
Rival militias clashed in Tripoli's Janzour district over the weekend. There were no reported injuries, but local authorities stated infrastructure, including a power plant, was damaged. The United Nations mission in Libya denounced the battles, saying they involved indiscriminate shooting and reports of heavy weapon use in the heavily populated area.
Dbeibah's mandate ended, according to lawmakers, after Libya failed to organise presidential elections in December. The failure was a severe setback for international efforts to bring Libya's decade-long instability to an end.
It opened a new chapter in Libya’s long-running political impasse, with rival governments claiming power after tentative steps toward unity past year.
The standoff has intensified in recent months, and the closing of oil facilities in areas held by Hifter's forces, including Libya's largest oil field, was likely an effort to deny Debeibah's administration of funding and boost his competitor.
Since NATO-backed rebellion deposed and murdered longtime autocrat Moammar Gadhafi in 2011, the oil-rich country has been wracked by violence. Since then, Libya has been pided between east and west administrations, both sponsored by separate militias and foreign powers.
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