UN Calls for Stability as Libyan Militias Begin to Mobilize
- Amid an ongoing political crisis and reports that armed groups were mobilizing around the capital, Tripoli, the UN mission to Libya called for calm and stability (Bloomberg)
Published by CFR's Wachenheim Center on Peace and Security
Latest News
Instability in Libya
Armed Group Shuts Down Second Libyan Oil Field, Slashing Oil Production
- Libya’s daily oil production dropped by 330,000 barrels after an armed group shut down a second oil field, el-Feel (Associated Press)
Libya’s Biggest Oil Field Temporarily Halts Production
- An unknown group shut down one of the main valves in Libya’s Sharara oil field, while protestors demanding better pay blocked a major port for oil exports (Bloomberg)
- Separately, two ministers from Libya’s new parliament-backed government were released after being detained while traveling to their swearing-in ceremony (Reuters)
Unidentified Gunmen Seize Two Ministers in Incoming Libyan Government
- The incoming foreign and culture ministers were abducted while traveling to their swearing-in. Incoming Prime Minister Fathi Bashagha said the ceremony will go on (Bloomberg)
- Incumbent Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah has refused to cede power (Al Jazeera)
Libyan Parliament Backs New Government
- Libya’s parliament approved a new government headed by Fathi Bashagha, despite embattled Prime Minister Abdulhamid al-Dbeibah’s repeated refusals to step down (Reuters)
Libya’s Parliament Announces Vote to Confirm New Interim Government
- The Libyan parliament plans to vote to confirm a new interim government next week, despite the incumbent administration’s refusal to step down (Reuters)
Libyan Prime Minister Refuses to Cede Power
- Libyan Prime Minister Hamid Dbeibah refused to give up power and only cede authority to a duly elected government, claiming that the appointment of a new interim government could lead to war and chaos; he laid out a plan to hold new elections in June (Associated Press)
Libyan Prime Minister Promises New Election Law
- After defying the Libyan parliament’s vote to replace him, Libyan Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah pledged to draft a new election law to resolve the country’s political crisis (Al Jazeera)
- Meanwhile, UN Secretary-General António Guterres called on all parties to recognize stability as a top priority (UN News)
Libya Selects New Interim Prime Minister
- Libyan lawmakers selected Fathi Bashagha, former security chief and interim minister, to replace Abdul Hamid Dbeibah as the country’s new interim prime minister, but Dbeibah has so far refused to step down (Bloomberg)
- The vote came after gunmen attacked Dbeibah’s convoy in Tripoli (Al Jazeera)
Libyan Prime Minister Refuses to Hand Over Power
- Libyan Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah—leader of the transitional Government of Unity—said he would not hand over power, despite the Libyan parliament’s plan to name a new prime minister later this week (Associated Press)
Libya’s Parliament Announces Vote to Appoint New Prime Minister
- Libya’s parliament announced it would vote to name a new prime minister later this week, prompting concerns of a power struggle (Al Jazeera)
Libyan Lawmakers Plan to Appoint New Transitional Government
- More than a month after the country failed to hold its first presidential election, Libyan lawmakers announced plans to convene next week to appoint a new prime minister who will lead the new transitional government (Associated Press)
- Separately, after a disagreement between Russia and the United States over appointing a new UN envoy to Libya, the UN Security Council voted to extend its mission in the country for three months (Associated Press)
CIA Chief Makes Surprise Visit to Libya
- CIA Director William Burns arrived in Libya yesterday, becoming the highest-ranking Biden administration official to visit the country so far; his meetings with Libya’s top officials are expected to focus on counterterrorism, oil and gas, and relations with Russia and the Russian mercenary organization Wagner Group (Al-Monitor)
Libya Postpones Presidential Election
- The vote, originally set to take place on December 24, will be delayed by at least a month due to disputes about the election process and certain candidates’ eligibility (Washington Post)
- The United Nations had pushed for the election to occur on December 24 to help bring peace to Libya after years of civil war (Guardian)
Libya Delays Publication of Presidential Candidate List Ahead of Election
- The UN-backed effort to hold the election on December 24 could be in jeopardy due to the delay (Guardian)
Interim PM to Run in Libyan Presidential Election
- Interim Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah said he will run in the country’s December 24 presidential election, breaking his previous pledge not to compete (Guardian)
Libya’s Haftar Announces Presidential Bid
- Rebel commander Khalifa Haftar announced that he will run for president in Decembers’ elections. Forces loyal to Haftar, who launched an offensive on Libya’s capital, Tripoli, in 2019, still control much of the country’s east and south (Agence France-Presse)
Qaddafi’s Son Registers to Run in Libyan Presidential Election
- Saif al-Islam al-Qaddafi, son of former Libyan dictator Muammar al-Qaddafi, registered to run in the December 24 election (Financial Times)
Paris Summit Aims to Support Libya’s Political Transition
- French President Emmanuel Macron is hosting a meeting that aims to ensure Libya sticks to a timeline to hold elections in December. U.S., Egyptian, and Russian envoys are among those in attendance (France 24)
U.S. Judge Pauses Lawsuit Against Libyan Warlord Until After Libya’s Election
- A U.S. judge ruled to pause a lawsuit against Libyan rebel commander Khalifa Haftar until after Libya’s presidential election, in which Haftar is expected to run. Multiple lawsuits in the U.S. state of Virginia accuse Haftar of committing war crimes in Libya’s conflict (Washington Post)
Libya’s Chief Diplomat’s Suspension Rejected by Libya’s Government
- Libya’s Presidency Council suspended and barred the international travel of Foreign Minister Najla Mangoush, accusing her of not coordinating foreign policy with the council. The decision was later rejected by the Government of National Unity (Associated Press)
UN Libya Mission Urges Representatives to Stick to Original Parliamentary Election Date
- Following Libyan lawmakers’ decision to postpone parliamentary elections to an unspecified date, the UN Libya mission urged the country’s parliament to hold both the presidential and parliamentary elections on December 24, as originally planned (Reuters)
Libyan Oil Refinery Damaged in Skirmishes
- The 120,000 barrels per day Zawiya oil refinery complex in Tripoli was “severely damaged” as a result of skirmishes (Reuters)
Libya Conference Aims to Rally Support for Political Transition
- Officials from Libya’s fragile unity government hosted delegates from the United Nations, Egypt, France, Italy, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey today—two months ahead of a presidential election that is part of Libya’s UN-supported peace process (Al-Jazeera)
Libyan Guards Kill Six Detained Migrants
- Libyan guards killed at least six detained migrants at the overcrowded Mabani detention center following a crackdown on thousands of migrants last week (Washington Post)