Since the onset of the last decade, the northwestern Libyan city of Misrata has occupied a prominent position and played a remarkable role in the North African country’s history.
Located 200 kilometers east of the capital, Tripoli, Misrata helped in overthrowing the regime in 2011 and took over a leading role in the country’s political scene and military arena.
Ahead of political turbulence created by the competition to head a prospective Libyan government, Misrata is on course to experience some tensions.
Fathi Bashagha, former interior minister of the Government of National Accord (GNA) and Ahmed Maiteeq, deputy head of the GNA, both from Misrata, have submitted their applications following decision by parliament on Monday to replace incumbent Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh.
Therefore, according to observers’ expectations, the scene may open to a new conflict that armed formations may be pushed into, if necessary.
The Libyan parliament has set February 8 as the date to vote for the Libyan Prime Minister’s replacement.
Dbeibeh, in power since February last year, is accused of failing to organize the general elections that were supposed to take place in December 2021.
The two presidential candidates, Bashagha and Maiteeq, in addition to Marwan Omeish, are competing to head the new government.
Dbeibeh has accused Parliament Speaker Aqila Saleh of trying to bring back division and fragmentation to the country after the latter had called for replacing the premier based on the GNA’s mandate presumably ending.
In the face of this tense atmosphere, an independent political spectrum in Misrata that does not follow neither Bashagha nor Dbeibeh warns against the two sharing the loyalties of many militias in Misrata and Tripoli.
This increases fears of resorting to armed groups and having Libya’s west sink into another cycle of bloody clashes.
Misrata hosts the largest force of equipment and armed formations that previously played a major role in repelling National Army forces from entering the capital, Tripoli, in the war that erupted on April 4, 2019.
