Libya Protesters Call on PM to Quit in Third Weekly March

Man waving the Libyan flag - File Photo/AFP
Man waving the Libyan flag - File Photo/AFP
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Libya Protesters Call on PM to Quit in Third Weekly March

Man waving the Libyan flag - File Photo/AFP
Man waving the Libyan flag - File Photo/AFP

Hundreds of protesters gathered in central Tripoli on Friday for the third week in a row to demand the resignation of UN-recognized Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah following recent clashes in Libya's capital.

At least 200 people had assembled by late afternoon, with several hundred more following suit later. Some blasted slogans on loudspeakers from their cars.

Libya is split between the UN-recognized government in Tripoli, led by Dbeibah, and a rival administration in the east controlled by the family of military strongman Khalifa Haftar.

The North African country has remained deeply divided since the 2011 NATO-backed revolt that toppled and killed longtime leader Moamer Kadhafi.

National elections scheduled for December 2021 were postponed indefinitely due to disputes between the two rival powers, AFP reported.

The recent unrest came after deadly clashes between armed groups controlling different areas of Tripoli killed at least eight people, according to the UN.

The clashes were sparked by the killing of an armed faction leader by a group aligned with Dbeibah's government -- the 444 Brigade which later fought a third group, the Radaa force that controls parts of eastern Tripoli and the city's airport.

The fighting broke out also after Dbeibah announced a string of executive orders seeking to dismantle Radaa and dissolve other Tripoli-based armed groups but excluding the 444 Brigade.

The government and UN support mission in Libya have been pressing efforts to reach a permanent ceasefire since.

Last Saturday, a separate protest in Tripoli drew hundreds in support of Dbeibah.

Demonstrators condemned the armed groups and called for the reinstatement of Libya's 1951 constitution, which was abolished by Kadhafi after his 1969 coup.



Fuel Shortages in Gaza at 'Critical Levels', UN Warns

 A Palestinian burns plastic waste to produce alternative fuel amid scarcity as the Israel-Hamas conflict continues, in northern Gaza Strip, September 5, 2024. REUTERS/Mahmoud Issa
A Palestinian burns plastic waste to produce alternative fuel amid scarcity as the Israel-Hamas conflict continues, in northern Gaza Strip, September 5, 2024. REUTERS/Mahmoud Issa
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Fuel Shortages in Gaza at 'Critical Levels', UN Warns

 A Palestinian burns plastic waste to produce alternative fuel amid scarcity as the Israel-Hamas conflict continues, in northern Gaza Strip, September 5, 2024. REUTERS/Mahmoud Issa
A Palestinian burns plastic waste to produce alternative fuel amid scarcity as the Israel-Hamas conflict continues, in northern Gaza Strip, September 5, 2024. REUTERS/Mahmoud Issa

The United Nations warned Saturday that dire fuel shortages in the Gaza Strip had reached "critical levels", threatening to dramatically increase the suffering in the war-ravaged Palestinian territory.

"After almost two years of war, people in Gaza are facing extreme hardships, including widespread food insecurity, seven UN agencies cautioned in a joint statement.

"When fuel runs out, it places an unbearable new burden on a population teetering on the edge of starvation," the statement added.