Egypt has urged its citizens in Libya to remain indoors and maintain contact with the Egyptian Foreign Ministry amid renewed clashes between armed groups in Tripoli and mass protests demanding the ousting of Prime Minister Abdel Hamid Dbaiba.
In a statement on Saturday, the ministry said it was monitoring developments in Libya with “great interest and worry” and called on rival groups to exercise “the highest degree of self-control” and prioritize the interests of the Libyan people.
The warning comes as protests erupted Friday in Martyrs’ Square, where demonstrators chanted anti-Dbaiba slogans and later gathered outside the main government building. Some carried banners with Dbaiba’s face crossed out in red.
Protests and Government Response
Dbaiba mourned the death of a security officer killed while defending the government building from protesters who attempted to storm it. The Government of National Unity (GNU) reiterated respect for the right to protest but blamed “a militant group” for violent incidents.
The GNU also dismissed rumors that several ministers had resigned, stressing that the cabinet remains intact.
Egypt’s Concern Over Migrant Workers
According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), more than 163,000 Egyptians live in Libya, making up nearly 20 percent of the migrant population, though unofficial estimates place the figure much higher.
Egypt’s call for caution reflects concern for its nationals, who live and work across Libya, many of them in Tripoli and western regions affected by the unrest.
Clashes Between Rival Armed Groups
The protests followed a week of violent confrontations between armed factions in the capital, triggered by the killing of powerful militia leader Abdelghani Al-Kikli. The fighting saw heavy artillery fired in densely populated neighborhoods, killing at least eight civilians, according to the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL).
While a ceasefire announced by the GNU on Wednesday temporarily calmed the violence, residents fear that the situation could deteriorate again given the fragile security environment and rivalries among Tripoli’s factions.
Nearly 15 years after the fall of Muammar Qaddafi, Libya remains divided between the GNU in Tripoli and the eastern-based Government of National Stability (GNS), backed by Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar’s Libyan National Army (LNA).
