Algeria Urges Libya To Hold Elections As Soon As Possible

 Algeria has urged Libya to hold elections as soon as possible to resolve the country’s crisis. In a press statement on Wednesday, the spokesman for the Algerian foreign ministry urged political parties to avoid escalation and hold a fair election.

The Algerian foreign ministry wrote on Twitter, “Algeria has expressed great concern for the resumption of armed clashes in Libya after the recent outbreak of armed clashes in Tripoli.” The ministry also asked Libya’s politicians to put the national interest first. 

Fathi Bashagha flees the capital

One of Libya’s rival prime ministers, Fathi Bashagha, was forced to leave the capital Tripoli on May 17 after clashes between rival militias. Former Interior Minister Bashagha had arrived in Tripoli with several ministers, but he had to leave the capital city. 

His arrival in Tripoli triggered armed confrontations in central Tripoli and elsewhere in the city. He was appointed by the east-based House of Representatives (HoR) in a challenge to the incumbent Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah, whose government is based in Tripoli.

The violence erupted between supporters of the two governments. Bashagha said he left the city for the safety of the citizens.

Stephanie Williams, the U.N. Secretary-General’s Special Advisor on Libya, also urged political parties to find a solution after the recent armed clashes between two militias. 

Political crisis in Libya

Libya has been suffering ever since the 2011 NATO-backed uprising ousted Muammar Gaddafi, who was later killed. An October 2020 ceasefire agreement called for the withdrawal of all foreign forces from Libya. 

The withdrawal led to an agreement on a transitional government in early February 2021. Later on, Dbeibah was appointed in March 2021 as head of the United Nations-backed GNU (Government of National Unity). 

Election in Libya

Libya was meant to hold presidential and parliamentary elections in December 2021. However, arguments between factions and bodies of state delayed the election. The east-based parliament declared that Dbeibah's government expired when the election did not take place in December 2021. In March 2022, the east-based parliament designated former interior minister Bashagha as the prime minister. However, Dbeibah refused to cede power until the elections. The move started the latest conflict in the country.