A senior United Nations official on Libya has condemned the storming of parliament by angry demonstrators amid protests in several cities against the country’s economic turmoil and political stalemate. Hundreds of protesters marched through the streets of the capital Tripoli and other Libyan cities on Friday, with many attacking and setting fire to government buildings, including the House of Representatives in the eastern city of Tobruk. “The right of the people to protest peacefully must be respected and protected, but riots and acts of vandalism, such as the storming of the House of Representatives headquarters late yesterday in Tobruk, are completely unacceptable,” tweeted Stephanie Williams, UN special adviser on Libya. on Saturday. “It is absolutely vital that calm is maintained, that Libyan leadership is shown to be responsible and that everyone exercises restraint.” 1/2 The people’s right to peaceful protest must be respected and protected, but rioting and acts of vandalism, such as the storming of the headquarters of the House of Representatives late yesterday in Tobruk, are completely unacceptable. — Stephanie Turco Williams (@SASGonLibya) July 2, 2022 Friday’s protests came a day after leaders of the Tripoli-based parliament and another legislature failed to reach an agreement on elections during UN-brokered talks in Geneva. The controversy now centers on the eligibility requirements of the candidates, according to the UN. Libya failed to hold elections in December after challenges including legal disputes, controversial presidential nominations and the presence of rogue militias and foreign fighters in the country. The failure to hold the vote was a major blow to international efforts for peace in the Mediterranean nation. It has opened a new chapter in its long-running political stalemate, with two rival governments now vying for power after tentative steps towards unity over the past year. Interim Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah leads a Tripoli-based government, while former Interior Minister Fathi Bashagha draws support from the Tobruk-based House of Representatives and military renegade Khalifa Haftar.
Fragile state
Protesters have also rallied against dire economic conditions in the oil-rich country, where prices for fuel and bread have risen and power outages are common. Libya’s energy sector has also fallen victim to political divisions, with a wave of forced shutdowns of oil facilities since April. Supporters of the eastern government have turned off the oil taps as leverage in their efforts to ensure a transfer of power to Bashaga, whose bid to take office in Tripoli in May ended in a swift withdrawal. People hold a banner that reads “The exit of all foreign forces in the east and west of the country” in Tripoli, Libya [Hazem Ahmed/Reuters] Libya’s National Oil Company has announced losses of more than $3.5 billion from the shutdown and drop in natural gas production, which is having a negative impact on the power grid. In recent weeks there have been repeated skirmishes between armed groups in Tripoli, raising fears of a return to full-scale conflict. Sabadell Jose, the European Union’s envoy to Libya, called on protesters to “avoid any kind of violence”. He said Friday’s protests showed people wanted “change through elections and their voices must be heard.” Libya has been wracked by conflict since a NATO-backed uprising toppled and killed longtime ruler Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. The country was then for years divided between rival administrations in the east and west, each backed by different armed groups and foreign governments.
