Libyan forces rally in Tripoli to support Dbeibé

Fears of renewed internal strife in Libya are growing as the days pass since the Tobruk-based parliament elected Fathi Bashagha as the new prime minister to replace Abdul Hamid Dbeibé. Since then, the Maghreb country has had two prime ministers, two parallel powers, as the authorities in Tripoli do not recognise Bashagha's legitimacy. 

Dbeibé, leader of the Government of National Unity (GNU), has rejected the parliamentary election and has assured that he will remain in power until elections are held. According to the electoral authorities, these elections are expected to take eight months to prepare. The Libyan prime minister has also attacked the House of Representatives, accusing it of "chaos" and "lack of transparency".

In addition, the prime minister has called on his supporters to take to the streets in protest, a move that could intensify infighting and deepen the country's political crisis. 

Dbeibé's supporters have been quick to respond. According to local sources, joint armed forces from Misrata, Khoms and Zlitan gathered this weekend in Tripoli's Martyrs' Square. The Libyan capital hosted some 300 armed vehicles to show their support for the prime minister.

Colonel Ibrahim Mohamed, field commander of the Joint Task Force, said his goal was to preserve "the democratic path in Libya", according to the AfricaNews portal. "We want elections," he added. The Joint Task Force announced in a statement that it had moved into the capital after an order from Dbeibé to "secure the seat of government and other key locations" in the city. Videos of armed convoys heading to Tripoli to defend the GNU are also circulating on social media. 

Before the parliamentary vote took place in Tobruk, a group of military brigades in the west criticised the House's actions and its "unilateral path". "The failure to complete the electoral process is linked to an error in the tracks (of the peace process: constitutional, reconciliation and unification of military institutions)," they said in a statement, Europa Press reports.

The United Nations has commented on the latest developments and called on all parties to "continue to preserve stability". In this sense, the UN stresses that the current political crisis "threatens to return the country to a position of confrontation between two rival authorities".

For Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, the electoral process is key to establishing stability in the country, and he reminds all institutions that "the primary objective of holding national elections as soon as possible to ensure that the political will of the 2.8 million Libyan citizens who registered to vote is respected". The country was due to hold presidential elections on 24 December, but they were postponed, prompting widespread criticism of the authorities, particularly Dbeibé.

This political duality has been present in Libya since the overthrow of Muammar al-Gaddafi in 2011. The assassination of the former Libyan leader provoked fierce disputes between the different factions seeking to seize power. In 2014, a civil war broke out between the Government of National Accord (GNA), led by Fayez al Sarraj in Tripoli, and the Tobruk forces, led by Marshal Khalifa Haftar. In August 2020, both sides signed a permanent ceasefire that gave way to a UN-sponsored diplomatic process, the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum (LDPF). After several months of negotiations, the LDPF elected Dbeibé as interim prime minister in February 2021.

Dbeibé's mission was to lead the country to free and democratic elections, but after the elections failed, the Tobruk parliament agreed to a vote to elect a new leader who would fulfil the task and bring stability to the country. For the time being, Bashagha has already committed to the roadmap approved by the House of Representatives to hold credible, secure and inclusive elections within 14 months. The former interior minister has also stressed the importance of 'national reconciliation' in securing the electoral process.