Hundreds of protesters gathered in central Tripoli on Friday for the third consecutive week, demanding the resignation of UN-recognised Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah following recent violent clashes in Libya’s capital.
Demonstrators were heard chanting slogans such as “Dbeibah out,” “the people want the fall of the government,” and “long live Libya.”
By late afternoon, at least 200 people had assembled, with several hundred more joining later, some using loudspeakers from their cars to broadcast their demands.
Libya remains divided between the UN-recognised government in Tripoli, led by Dbeibah, and a rival administration in the east, which is controlled by the family of military strongman Khalifa Haftar.
The North African nation has been deeply fractured since the 2011 NATO-backed revolt that resulted in the toppling and killing of longtime leader Moamer Kadhafi.
National elections, originally scheduled for December 2021, were postponed indefinitely due to ongoing disputes between the two rival powers.
The recent unrest was triggered by deadly clashes between armed groups controlling different areas of Tripoli, which the UN reported resulted in at least eight deaths.
These clashes erupted following the killing of an armed faction leader by a group aligned with Dbeibah’s government, the 444 Brigade, which subsequently fought a third group, the Radaa force that controls parts of eastern Tripoli and the city’s airport.
The fighting also escalated after Dbeibah announced a series of executive orders aimed at dismantling Radaa and dissolving other Tripoli-based armed groups, notably excluding the 444 Brigade.
Efforts to reach a permanent ceasefire have been ongoing between the government and the UN support mission in Libya.
The previous Saturday saw a separate protest in Tripoli, drawing hundreds of people in support of Dbeibah.
These demonstrators condemned the armed groups and called for the reinstatement of Libya’s 1951 constitution, which was abolished by Kadhafi after his 1969 coup.
