The Tripoli Court of Appeals has overturned a decision by the Prime Minister of the Government of National Unity, Abdulhamid Dbaiba, that ordered the administrative merger of Tawergha into the Municipality of Misrata.
The ruling came after the court accepted a legal appeal challenging the merger, which had stirred controversy over the legality and social implications of the decision. The court’s decision effectively restores Tawergha’s independent municipal status, pending further government response.
The now-nullified decree was originally issued as part of a broader plan to reorganize municipal boundaries nationwide. However, opponents of the merger argued that it was issued without proper legal basis, community consultation, or sensitivity to Tawergha’s unique historical and political context.
Tawergha has been at the center of national and international attention in recent years due to the forced displacement of its population during the 2011 conflict and the protracted efforts to ensure their return. The city’s administrative status has remained a politically sensitive issue, tied closely to issues of reconciliation, justice, and identity.
Legal arguments against the merger cited violations of constitutional principles and the rights of local populations to determine their administrative future. The court ruling is seen as a validation of those arguments and a recognition of the need for inclusive, consensus-driven governance.
This decision could have wider implications for other disputed municipal changes made unilaterally by the executive branch. It reopens the national conversation on how Libya’s municipalities should be governed in a post-conflict environment.
So far, no official response has been issued by Prime Minister Dbaiba or the Ministry of Local Governance.
