On Thursday, the Chairman of the High Council of State (HCS), Khaled Al-Mishri accused Abdel-Hamid Dbaiba’s Government of National Unity (GNU) of “ignoring the tense security situation in the city of Al-Zawiya, which is only 40 kilometers away from its Prime Minister’s office.”
“The GNU is only preoccupied with holding parties and organizing fake forums, ignoring what is happening in Al-Zawiya. In light of the complete collapse of national security, and the encroachment of Libyan lands by illegal immigrants who have formed criminal gangs, we find the GNU is only concerned with employing state funds and its executive institutions with the aim of keeping itself in office,” he said.
Al-Zawiya is witnessing protests against the backdrop of the circulation of videos that showed a number of Libyan youths being tortured by African mercenaries at a militia headquarters.
Protesters shut down the local oil refinery, the municipal council headquarters, the local courthouse, and blocked roads in response to the videos.
Earlier today, dozens of youths declared civil disobedience.
The youths gathered before the Security Directorate headquarters and called for “suspending the municipal council and its members, holding them accountable, and conducting new elections. As well as suspending the Head of Al-Zawiya Security Directorate and bringing him to justice, ending the phenomenon of armed vehicles completely from the city, and relocating military premises outside the downtown.”
The demands also included “seizing all criminals involved in killings and those involved in crimes, raiding fuel smuggling dens, preventing its sale on the Coastal Road and in the city, closing unlicensed petrol stations permanently, holding petrol station owners who sell their orders to smugglers accountable, and operationalize the anti-narcotics agency and raid drug dens.”
On Wednesday night, protesters set tires on fire and gathered in the city’s Martyrs’ Square, to protest against the torture incident.
The demonstrators also closed the eastern entrance to the city, leading to Tripoli, in protest against the “deterioration of the city’s security situation. “
