The Libyan Military Prosecutor’s Office issues an arrest warrant against the prime minister of the country’s east

28 (EUROPE PRESS)

The Libyan Military Prosecutor’s Office issued an arrest warrant on Sunday against the prime minister of the country’s eastern administration, Fazi Bashaga, for his role in clashes between rival militias on Saturday in the country’s capital, Tripoli, which have left at least 23 dead and more than 150 wounded.

Bashaga had repeatedly threatened to storm the city after declaring the current Libyan Unity Government, based in Tripoli, illegitimate, and several of its militias were involved in fighting against forces related to the capital’s authorities during the fighting on Saturday.

The order also affects the militia leader Usama Juwaili, close to Bashaga; the spokesman for the spokesman for the eastern prime minister, Othman Abdul Jalil and the politician Mohamed Sawan, considered by the Tripoli Unity Government as an instigator of violence in the country, according to the Libya Observer portal.

This order, in addition, also imposes travel restrictions on those designated, according to the official note from the Military Prosecutor’s Office, related to the Unity Government led by Abdul Hamid Dbeibé, collected by the Libyan media.

UNITY GOVERNMENT FORCES POINT OUT TAJOURI MILITIA

Shortly after, the Stability Support militias (SSA), affiliated with the Unity Government, blamed Haitem Tajouri’s Brigade 777 directly for the fighting inside Tripoli for “destabilizing the capital and plunge it into a protracted conflict by preparing logistics and weapons to that end.

As it did on Saturday, the Stability Support militias accused the Tajouri militias — not initially aligned with the eastern forces — of creating a “security gap that endangered the stability of Tripoli and its residents”.

The SSA have reiterated that their security operation was intended to “deal with the security threat in a very short time to limit the consequent loss of life and property and avoid a protracted conflict in Tripoli”, in a statement collected by the ‘Libya Observer ‘.

The House of Representatives, based in the east of the country, ended Dbeibé’s mandate due to the postponement of the presidential elections in December and ended up appointing Bashaga, at the beginning of a conflict that has spread to the country’s energy sector, absolutely essential to sustain the economy of a nation ruined after years of civil war.

It should be remembered that Bashaga has attempted to take control of Tripoli as many as twice — on July 22, clashes left 16 dead and around 50 wounded — before giving up to avoid a serious armed struggle. Right now his government is based in the city of Sirte, but the prime minister of the country’s east has been threatening for days to carry out a definitive offensive against the capital.

Dbeibé came to power after the historic 2020 ceasefire that ended a year of fighting between forces from Tripoli and from the east of the country, led by rebel marshal Khalifa Haftar.

The transitional government was mandated to take the country to elections last December, but they never took place due to divisions over the rules and the presence of controversial candidates, culminating in the controversial appointment of Bashaga.