Prime Minister of the Libyan Parliament-designated government, Fathi Bashagha said that he will reveal his “plan for Libya’s stability and prosperity soon.”
In a threat on his Twitter account, Bashagha said: “I will be announcing my plan soon, after rounds of fruitful and constructive meetings with our international friends. I highly value the positivity and readiness for cooperation expressed by those countries.”
“My focus will be achieving stability, peace and prosperity for Libya, and ensure reaching free and fair Libyan Presidential and Parliamentary elections. We will advance Libya on the foundations of democracy, and the will of its people, who deserve to live in economic and social peace.”
Earlier Monday, renewed clashes broke out last night near Libyan Capital’s old airport between forces from the city of Misrata, led by Abdel-Salam Al-Zoubi, and a rival militia from Zawiya, led by Mohamed Bahrun ( Al-Far) with both medium and light weapons
Press reports indicated that the 444th Brigade, which is affiliated with the Presidential Council, intervened to resolve the conflict and restore calm in the area.
As the backbone of its economy, oil has been at the core of unrest that followed Muammer Gaddafi’s overthrow, a slow-burn conflict with periodic flare-ups of intense fighting.
Incumbent Prime Minister, Abdel-Hamid Dbaiba is attempting to shore up control and weed out militias aligned with Bashagha.
Dbaiba’s key concern now is gaining control of various armed factions within Tripoli, who have not aligned definitively with one side or the other.
Turkey could play the role of kingmaker here, with the ability to military intervene on either Dbaiba’s or Bashagha’s side. Both officials visited the Turkish capital this month.
Al-Monitor poses that a quiet Turkish intervention has “tipped the balance of power in favour of Dbaiba”, and cites unnamed sources as saying that Bashagha left the meeting in Ankara “disgruntled”, though there is no independent confirmation of this.
Libya is politically torn between Bashagha, who was elected by the Libyan Parliament to lead the country in February, and Dbaiba, who refuses to relinquish power.
Tensions have been rising for months in Libya as the two Prime Ministers vie for power; rising fears of renewed conflict two years after a landmark truce.
Dbaiba is also attempting to shore up control and weed out militias aligned with Bashagha.