Libya Presidential Council Again Calls for Ending Centralization in Tripoli

People watch kitesurfers practice on the Mediterranean shore of Libya's capital Tripoli, on October 1, 2022. (AFP)
People watch kitesurfers practice on the Mediterranean shore of Libya's capital Tripoli, on October 1, 2022. (AFP)
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Libya Presidential Council Again Calls for Ending Centralization in Tripoli

People watch kitesurfers practice on the Mediterranean shore of Libya's capital Tripoli, on October 1, 2022. (AFP)
People watch kitesurfers practice on the Mediterranean shore of Libya's capital Tripoli, on October 1, 2022. (AFP)

Vice President of the Libyan Presidential Council Musa al-Koni reiterated the need to end centralization in the capital Tripoli.

He said limiting the presence of state institutions in the capital “makes it a target to those eyeing power or wealth.”

Koni has been promoting the idea for around a month now, holding various meetings with figures from Misrata, as well as with international officials.

He met on Sunday with civil society activists and senior officials from Tripoli.

A statement from his office said “he realizes the extent of the suffering Tripoli is suffering because central state institutions are located in the capital.”

The meeting tackled the benefits of a decentralized system “to fend off threats against the capital.”

Koni recalled that Libya used to be governed by a provincial system. Such a system is able to achieve justice, fairly distribute state revenues, immediately respond to demands, and impose security and stability throughout the country.

Libya has been governed by various systems since its independence in 1951. It tried the federal, provincial and municipal systems until centralization was introduced after the ouster and killing of longtime ruler Moammar al-Gaddafi in 2011.

The Presidential Council is seeking to reinstate the provincial system that was in place before 1969 with the aim to “limit struggles over power.”

Politicians, however, believe that ending centralization demands a new constitution and wide political agreement, as well as stability at state institutions.

They told Asharq Al-Awsat that ever since assuming power, the council had declared various initiatives but failed to achieve any of them.



Sudan Army Says Khartoum State ‘Completely Free’ of RSF

Sudanese women sell vegetables at an open market in the East Nile district of Khartoum on May 19, 2025. (AFP)
Sudanese women sell vegetables at an open market in the East Nile district of Khartoum on May 19, 2025. (AFP)
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Sudan Army Says Khartoum State ‘Completely Free’ of RSF

Sudanese women sell vegetables at an open market in the East Nile district of Khartoum on May 19, 2025. (AFP)
Sudanese women sell vegetables at an open market in the East Nile district of Khartoum on May 19, 2025. (AFP)

The Sudanese army said on Tuesday that it had completely pushed its rival paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) out of Khartoum state, nearly two months after it regained control of the capital's center.

"Khartoum state is completely free of rebels," army spokesman Nabil Abdallah said in a statement, referring to the RSF.

The war in Sudan broke out in April 2023 when the military and the RSF turned against each other in a struggle for power.

Their battles spread from Khartoum to around the country. At least 20,000 people have been killed, but the real toll is probably far higher.

Nearly 13 million people have fled their homes, 4 million of them streaming into neighboring countries. Half the population of 50 million faces hunger.