Mass demonstration in Tripoli against militias in the city

Thousands of Libyans have mounted a mass demonstration against the powerful militias that dominate Tripoli. The demonstration was in the Martyr's Square.

The demonstrators shouted slogans against the militias and demanded a unified army and police. The city has been rocked by clashes the last few days. Khalifa Ghwell who was attempting a coup lost his headquarters at the Rixos hotel complex. A ceasefire was reached yesterday but some key militia rejected it and there have been further clashes since.

There were some who shouted support for Khalifa Haftar commander of the rival Libyan National Army linked to the Tobruk-based House of Representatives (HoR). Haftar is opposed not only to the Tripoli militias but the UN-brokered Government of National Accord as well. Mohamed Zein, a 27-year-old protestor said: "We won't go home until our demands are met. We ask for all militias that have come from outside of Tripoli to leave immediately."

The protesters marched peacefully demanding that all illegitimate militia leave Tripoli as was also part of the recent ceasefire agreement. They demanded the activation of police and army institutions in the capital. The Libya Observer claims that supporters of Khalifa Haftar had infiltrated the protests and started to shout slogans in support of him as well as racist slogans against the city of Misrata. Some militia in Tripoli come from Misrata.

After this happened gunmen in pickups stormed the square and fired shots into the air in order to intimidate the protesters and disperse the protestors. In spite of the gunfire, there has as yet been no report of casualties. The Grand Mufti, Al-Sadiq Al-Gharyani, accused Khalifa Haftar as being behind recent clashes. He denounced the silence of the official authorities toward the ongoing clashes. The PC was able to reach a ceasefire as mentioned earlier but it does not include some key militia. There appear to have been a number of different causes of the clashes among militia with varying agendas.

There have been numerous tweets on the demonstrations and related events. One tweet notes that 22 militia announce that they support the GNA government: "22 Local militias in Tripoli announce (for the first time) that they are part of Libyan UN backed gov. UN gov supporting militias officially." No doubt this sudden loyalty to the GNA is related to a desire not to be ordered out of Tripoli. Another tweet reports on the gunmen who broke up the demonstration: Witnesses: "3 vehicles fired shots in the air to intimidate protesters against militias in Tripoli. #Libya." The gunmen have yet to be identified.

Officials from UN-backed Libyan government banned from opening of power station

At the Al-Khums Power Station in the city of Al-Khums about 120 kilometers east of Tripoli the second gas turbine was put in operation Saturday. The increased output will likely ease the power shortage in Tripoli the capital.

In a boost for the Salvation Government members who plotted a coup back on October 14, Khalifa al-Ghawiel PM of the Salvation Government attended the opening ceremonies. Acccording to a report in the Libya Observer Ahmed Mitiq a member of the Presidency Council (PC) of the rival UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) was declared persona non grata at the opening. Mitiq and his delegation which included a steering-committee for the General Electricity Company were ordered to leave the city according to local sources.

The PC of the GNA had earlier selected the steering committee for the General Electricity Company of Libya. However, the Tripoli Court of Appeal ruled against the appointments and ordered that the current management, which is loyal to the Salvation Government, remain in office.

The company said that the first turbine should be in operation by later this year with a total output of 262 megawatts. This extra power should help reduce the number of power cuts in Tripoli. The cuts are particularly bad in the summer months when the weather is veyr hot and often humid.

Several tweets comment on the opening. One says: Khalifa Laghwel PM of Salvation Governement officially opened #Khoms power plant. 100k east if #Tripoli, reports on denying access to Mieteg. Another tweet commented: If Ghwell/Salvation Govt opened Khoms power station 100 km east of Tripoli: further proof of ineffectivness/failure of Serraj/PC/GNA/LPA!

The weakness of the GNA has already been shown by several events including the seizure of the Rixos hotel, headquarters of the High State Council of the GNA, by members of the Salvation Government on October 14. Not only have the coup members managed to maintain control of the Rixos complex but a portion of the Presidential Guard whose mission is to defend the GNA defected and supported the group. The coup leaders have controlled the Rixos complex for weeks now. The GNA does not seem to have the power or at least the will to try and oust the coup members by force. The Salvation Government appears not to be dead as yet.

In a frank interview, PM of the GNA Faiez Serraj admits the many problems of the GNA most of which remain to be solved. A recent report by the International Crisis Group is also critical of the GNA as well as the Libyan Political Agreement (LPA)

Coverage of the "dissolution" of the Tripoli-based GNC government

As the UN-brokered Government of National Accord, led by PM-designate Faiez Serraj, begins to establish more power in Tripoli and western Libya, the mainstream western media are beginning to take some notice of events in Libya.

This article will analyze CNN's recent coverage of the reported dissolution of the Tripoli-based General National Congress (GNC), a rival to the Tobruk-based House of Representatives (HoR) in the east of Libya. CNN repeats an account also found in the Libya Observer. Both accounts note that the statement came from Libya's Justice Ministry. The Observer adds that it was on the Ministry's Facebook page. Neither report bothers to note that a report that the Tripoli or Salvation Government as it calls itself is dissolved should surely come from the official government itself, not a ministry. The CNN report reads as follows:

The self-declared, Islamist-leaning National Salvation Government, headquartered in the capital, Tripoli, said in a statement it was ceasing its work in the "supreme interest of the nation," in a move to prevent further violence and division and remove the capital "from the specter of armed conflict." "We inform you that we are stopping our work as an executive power, as the presidency, members of parliament and ministers of the government," read the statement published by Libya's Justice Ministry on Monday.

The statement probably represents an attempt by Ministry officials to force the government to hand over power. The PM of the government,Khalifa Ghweil, sanctioned by the EU, issued his own statement contradicting the announcement: "Given the requirements of public interest... you are requested to continue your mission in accordance with the law." He even threatened to prosecute anyone who works with the new government. Alarabiya also reports on Ghweil's statement. The CNN account does not include it.

The Observer account gives more background to what has happened. It notes that on March 29 the Salvation Government issued a statement in which it described the Presidential Council members who came to Tripoli as infiltrators and said they should go back to Tunis. A later statement, on March 31, said the government decided to pass all legislative issues and decisions to the GNC. It said the GNC is the only legitimate authority in Libya and should do as it sees fit. The CNN article fails even to note that the GNC still exists. Even the contested declaration of the Justice Ministry says nothing about the GNC, just the associated government.

The CNN article cites Maher Shami, spokesperson for the HoR, as saying the government there is not ready to cede power to the GNA because "it was not properly consulted on the transfer of power." This makes it sound as if somehow it is merely a demand that it be consulted on the transfer of power that is at issue. This is quite wrong. It is one of the requirements of the Libya Political Agreement (LPA) that the GNA receive a vote of confidence by the HoR before its term even begins. Reading CNN one would never have an inkling that there might be something wrong in the GNA even claiming power. There is nothing in the CNN report about Khalifa Haftar, or the HoR demand that he stay on as commander-in-chief of the Libyan National Army. All we learn is that the HoR wants proper consultation on the transfer of power. There is no mention of the fact that if Haftar is not kept on as commander-in-chief, eastern Libya could separate.

Although the CNN is reporting on the dissolution of the Salvation Government, it has nothing to say about the meeting of the State Council of the GNA that met in a Tripoli hotel. There, the State Council decided that they were also the General National Congress and dissolved it and then unanimously passed a resolution approving the GNA and amending the Constitutional Declaration of 2011. They have no power to do the latter. There is nothing of Abusahmain's condemnation of the meeting and its actions or threats of court action.

The CNN report, as with many mainstream reports, is not so much wrong as simply misleading since it leaves out important information necessary to understand what is happening. The Salvation Government and the GNC might as well have dissolved as they do not seem to have any power but the CNN account does not give the reader any idea of what is behind the failure of the HoR to relinquish power and neglects the fact the General Haftar is a key player in any solution to the problems in the east.

Both rival Libyan governments condemn EU sanctions of officials

- The Tripoli-based General National Congress (GNC) is following in the footsteps of the Tobruk-based House of Representatives (HoR) and eastern notables who have criticized the sanctions imposed by the EU on its president, Ageela Saleh.

Saleh was sanctioned for supposedly blocking a vote of confidence on the UN-brokered Government of National Accord (GNA). However, earlier this week, Saleh twice pleaded with members to show up so there would be a quorum but to no avail. The HoR not only criticized the EU sanctions but also threated the GNA with the separation of Cyrenaica, or eastern Libya, if HoR demands were not met. The GNC also criticized the EU sanctions on Abu Sahmain, president of the GNC and also Khalifa Al-Ghwell, who were singled out for not getting the GNC to vote approval of the Libya Political; Agreement (LPA) and the GNA.

The GNC called the decision biased. It is not known how many of the GNC signed on to the statement. President Abu Sahmain is said to be at the GNC's offices that are surrounded by armed gunmen loyal to him. While a recent article claimed the GNC government simply vanished, the GNC obviously still exists but it does not seem to be launching any significant opposition to the GNA and no longer claims that the GNA must leave Tripoli or the members will be arrested.

The GNC also complained about the verbal abuse by pro-GNA protesters of Sadek Al-Gharyani, the Grand Mufti of Libya, as the GNC sees it. The GNC statement called the protesters ill-mannered and said that the Mufti is "an icon for Libya and the February revolution." A group of lawyers in the UK have threatened to take action against Gharyani for threatening jihad against members of the GNA. However, Gharyani has softened his tone and even suggests in a recent article that the GNA would be welcome in Tripoli given it made certain amendments to the Libya Political Agreement. Unlike Sahmain and Ghwell, Gharyani is believed to have assets in the UK.

The Libyan League of Ulema criticized any call for jihad against the GNA. However the Muslim Scholar's Association said it appreciated the firm stand taken by Libyan Grand Mufti Al-Gharyani. Unlike the reaction in the east that is a huge threat to the GNA, the GNC reaction will likely have little effect. Support for the GNA appears to be growing quickly in the west of Libya and to some degree in the south as well.

GNA appears to be winning over GNC for control of Tripoli

Members of the Presidential Council from the Libyan Government of National Accord (GNA) led by PM Faiez Serraj recently arrived in a naval base adjacent to Tripoli. While at first there were threats to arrest the group from the rival General National Congress (GNC) and there were a few clashes during the first day, things have quieted down and the GNC appears to be in no position to launch any significant opposition to the GNA. While the description of what happened described in a recent Digital Journal article may not be accurate, the GNC might as well have vanished. The GNA has been able to meet with a number of local officials and 10 cities in the west of Libya have come out in support of the UN-brokered government. . There have also been demonstrations in support of the GNA in Tripoli. The PC has also met with the chair of the Central Bank. The GNA wants to gain control of it and other institutions and block off funds to the GNC. The chair of the bank appears to be cooperating with the GNA.

In a statement on Thursday, PM of the GNC Khalifa Al-Ghawell said he was not interested in power and he will abide by any GNC decision on the GNA. However, there appears to be no official statement yet from the GNC. Al-Ghawell said: "My rejection to the so-called Presidency Council will be in a peaceful and legal manner without any use of force." He said rumors of his departure and handing over power to the GNA were baseless. However, there is not a word about arresting members of the GNA or taking any actions that would block the GNA from taking power. He is under sanction now by the EU. Perhaps they will be lifted for good behavior.

The president of the GNC, Nuri Sahmain, also made a statement. He described the arrival of the GNA in Tripoli as an "illegitimate coup" yet said he still supported the Libyan Political Dialogue. This is rather senseless since there has been no dialogue since Kobler took over and said that there would be no more amendments to the Libyan Political Agreement. Of course he then went ahead and amended it. Sahmain ignores the fact that the GNA is simply using its power to bribe, support of the big powers, and the UN security power to create its own legitimacy. Once it gains control of the Central Bank, the GNC will have no means of financing itself. Sahmain however still thinks the GNA needs more national agreement before it begins operation:He said that there remained “disputed issues” in the Skirhat Libyan Political Agreement which would have to be resolved before the Government of National Accord under Faiez Serraj would have any authority. He said that there needed to be more national agreement before the GNA could start to operate.Apparently the statement was on behalf of the GNC as well. It ended by calling for self-control by all sides and avoidance of bloodshed. No talk of arrests of the presidency council members from the GNA. Sahmain is also sanctioned by the EU.

Kobler, Faiez, and international supporters are busy cheering and posting photos of the GNA crew in Tripoli. However, there is no news of what is happening in Tobruk and in the HoR. There is complete silence from Khalifa Haftar. Will the HoR meet Monday to vote on the GNA and amend the constitutional declaration of 2011? What happened to the two sections 8 of the LPA which took away Haftar's job? Are they "frozen"?

Imhamed Shouaib, the deputy president of the HoR had some revealing comments after arguing that the LPA should not be re-opened or amended: ".. he stressed that at times measures must be taken that are not strictly democratic. This is forced upon us by the situation that Libya finds itself in, he explained. He explained that the national interest of the country had to be balanced politically with strict legalistic or democratic practices. "Surely the UN, the GNA, or the international community would not do anything illegal.

Libyan Government of National Accord announces security arrangements in Tripoli complete

The UN-brokered Libyan Government of National Accord together with its Presidential Council has announced that security arrangements are complete and the GNA is ready to move to Tripoli to resume work there, rather than its current location, Tunis.

The announcement was an official statement by the GNA. The statement added that the GNA was mindful of "saving Libyan blood" and of moving to Tripoli in a "safe and peaceful" manner. However, there are already reports of gunfire and clashes. Militia supporting the GNA have said they will use force to ensure that the GNA is able to come to Tripoli. Opposition militia have said they will resist any such attempt. In these circumstances to say that the GNA is mindful of "saving Libyan blood" probably means that if the GNA thinks that it cannot establish itself, violence or not, it will not come. However, the GNA claimed some time ago that it would be in Tripoli within a few days. It may lose whatever credibility it has left if it does not come soon.

The problems that the GNA faces naturally cannot be caused by the GNA itself and failure to gain the support of either rival government. It is all the fault of the "bad guys." Here is the morality play tale:It accused a ‘’minority headed’’ by Tripoli’s de facto administration and its self-appointed so called prime minister ‘’Khalifa Ghwell’’ of ‘’terrorizing’’ people in Tripoli and putting ‘’obstructions’’ and impediments before the GNA ‘’preventing’’ it from commencing its duties.These bad guys closed off aviation navigation causing "numerous humanitarian crisis for Libyans stranded in airports." These included "ill, injured, children and elderly." These are clear transgressions of "citizen's rights and of international conventions" Of course, after this moral indignation it is not proper to note that the airspace was opened again at 2 a.m. the same day. Continuing in the same vein of fatuous moralizing, the GNA urges citizens and the international community to reject the behavior of obstructing groups and to "avoid fighting and bloodshed" in the capital. No self-criticism or the slightest hint that it is the GNA and its insistence that it enter Tripoli without the support of either rival government has anything to do with what is happening. How could it? The GNA is one of the good guys? The Libya Observer predicts the GNA move is likely to provoke violence and a war in Tripoli.

There is no mention in the GNA statement of the internationally recognized House of Representatives (HoR) which also opposes the GNA move to Tripoli. The HoR is supposed to meet today and tomorrow to vote on the GNA and an amendment to the Constitutional Declaration of 2011. The last four times the HoR tried to hold a meeting and vote there was no quorum. Today is now the fifth time. Often the lack of a quorum is blamed on president of the HoR, Ageela Saleh, who, it is claimed, is often away on foreign trips so there can be no meeting. However, this time Saleh specifically issued an appeal for HoR members to be present today. An alleged majority signed a statement to say they support the GNA after a vote was not taken at a meeting of the HoR some time back. This letter has been used by the GNA to claim that it already has the confidence of the HoR. This claim is made in spite of the fact that the HoR position is that a formal vote is needed and that the GNA is not legal until there is an amendment to the Constitutional Declaration of 2011 incorporating the GNA into the constitution. No matter, the UN Security Council and many countries support the continuing illegal operations of the GNA. The press will never notice. Khalifa Haftar, the commander in chief of the Libyan Nation Army of the HoR is adamantly opposed to the militia who are supporting the GNA move to Tripoli. Cyrenaica, the eastern part of Libya, may find itself increasingly at odds with the GNA and could eventually separate with Haftar ruling as head of a military council as he has often recommended.

GNA facing problems as it attempts to move to Tripoli

March 23--The UN-brokered Government of National Accord (GNA) has still not moved to Tripoli due to continuing problems with security arrangements. The Tripoli-based General National Council (GNC) opposes the move and refuses to relinquish power.

The Prime Minister of the GNC, Khalifa Al-Ghwell, was outspoken in his criticism of the role of Martin Kobler, the Special Representative of the Secretary General (SRSG) who has been urging that the GNA relocate to Tripoli from Tunis. He said that Kobler behaved more like a destructive godfather than the head of the United Nations Support Mission In Libya (UNSMIL). Kobler was to meet with officials of the GNC today but the meeting was postponed until next Monday according to Ali Abu Zabouk the Foreign Minister of the GNC. Even then, he can only come if he does not meet with any other parties during his visit. The Libya Herald reported:

UN Special Envoy Martin Kobler was prevented from flying to Tripoli today by the "government" there despite a statement the day before yesterday by Nuri Abu Sahmain, head of the continuing General National Congress (GNC), that Kobler would arrive in the Libyan capital today for talks . . .It may be that Kobler was not allowed to land when the GNC discovered that he was going to meet with other parties.

Zabouk criticized the efforts being made to impose what he calls a non-accord government by taking advantage of Libyans' needs. He is no doubt referring to the liquidity problem with the banks and the humanitarian needs that await the establishment of the GNA before they will be met. Zabouk said: "We understand that some parties want to create a real stability in Libya, but such stability cannot be achieved through reliance on foreigners or at the expense of Libya's sovereignty.." He also criticized the threat of sanctions claiming that they did not create a good environment for negotiations with international stakeholders.

The Libya Herald also reported on Ghwell's criticism of Kobler and other statements he has made. Ghwell has made it clear that he will not hand over power to the GNA headed by Faiez Serraj. In a statement the GNC said it would only relinquish office if "a national government that came from the hearts of Libyans was appointed. It would not stand aside for what it said was government imposed against the will of the Libyan people." Kobler has demanded that power be handed over to the GNA immediately. The internationally recognized House of Representatives (HoR) in Tobruk also rejects the demand that the GNA takeover power and continues to operate. Both governments reject the GNA takeover as it is happening.

The Libya Herald is usually anti-GNC and some of its reporting reflects this. It points out that in the east Tripoli suburb of Suq al_Juma that has up to now been a stronghold of the Libya Dawn militia that supports the GNC, there were protesters demanding that Ghwell resign, and described him as head of a gang. One of the protesters told the Libya Herald: “ We supported them before to protect the revolution and provide services to people. But we’ve found out that they’re just thieves and they never stop trying to prevent national reconciliation because it means the end of their power.” The Herald claims that Aref Khoja is in Tripoli. He is appointed interior minister in the GNA. He is said to be holding meetings with sympathizers and militia leaders about providing security for Serraj when he arrives.

There is a concerted propaganda attempt to show growing support for the GNA. There are even reports that the GNC was intending to start procedures to turn over power to the GNA. The GNC issued a statement on Tuesday saying that this was false. There have been other rumors as well. One was to the effect that the president of the GNC, Nuri Sahmain, had fled the capital and that the Grand Mufti and radical Islamist Belhaj were supporting the GNA. All of this appears to be false.

Sahmain agreed to meet with Kobler March 23rd but as noted above it did not happen. Kobler could come to Tripoli next Monday. Sahmain confirmed that the GNC is still operating from Tripoli and that the rumors that he left the capital are completely false.

Head of internationally-recognized Libyan government suggests dialogue could continue past Oct. 20

Special UN Envoy to Libya Bernardino Leon, who is managing the talks between the two rival Libyan governments, expected the two governments' negotiators to return to Skhirat in Morocco, where the talks are being held, early this week.

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Leon had expected that negotiators from the two rival governments would return today or tomorrow to discuss the names of officials for the new Government of National Accord(GNA). The final draft of the Libya Political Agreement(LPA) was given to the two governments a week ago and they were supposed to discuss it last week. The internationally-recognized House of Representatives(HoR) government certainly did not discuss the draft. The earliest they could discuss it a member said was today or Tuesday but it could be another week yet. The HoR was waiting for all their members to return from the Eid holiday that ended last Thursday. Neither government seems in any hurry to pass final judgement on the LPA.

Ageila Saleh, the leader of the HoR said that, if necessary, the parliament would continue talks past October 20 when its mandate expires. The HoR has already unilaterally decided it would extend its mandate. Leon had wanted an agreement on the GNA by the end of September with the GNA in operation before October 20. Although he was able to reach a final agreement among negotiators for the two sides, the HoR rejected the draft and called back its four negotiators. Only two returned. The other two reached another sub-agreement as well for the return of those who had been boycotting the HoR. However, the HoR claimed that the sub-agreement was not binding and again called on its representatives to return to Tobruk.

It is not clear if anyone from either side will return to the dialogue talks this week. Saleh said that the HoR wants the talks to "move a step forward." The HoR could move a step forward by discussing the draft in parliament and either approving or disapproving it. I expect that they do not want to do this because they know it would be voted down and they would be blamed for the failure of the talks. Instead, Saleh blamed the rival General National Congress(GNC) government based in Tripoli for "delaying democracy and putting obstacles in front of the House of Representatives and the Libyan community." The GNC is not preventing the HoR from approving or not approving the LPA. Saleh said that if the GNA was agreed to and in place before October 20 that would end the problem, but otherwise the HoR would continue. If the HoR continues to put off consideration of the LPA this hardly helps Leon reach his goal of having the GNA in place by October 20.

The international community wants a GNA in place so permission will be granted for intervention in Libya to deal with human smugglers who take migrants to Italy, and Malta. Several countries also plan intervention to deal with the Islamic State and try to enforce order. Neither of the two rival governments are in favour of such a move. A GNA might not agree to this either. The HoR is all in favour of lifting the ban on shipping weapons to Libya, however. The HoR wants weapons to fight Islamists and provide more arms for Operation Dignity. This is an operation of the commander of the Libyan armed forces Khalifa Haftar. He considers the forces of the GNC government to be Islamist terrorists and has vowed to destroy them. He has continued his attacks all throughout the peace talks. He was named as a person to be sanctioned by the EU but it is not clear that this ever happened. He is supported by Egypt as well as the Arab League and has signed a military agreement with Jordan, rather surprising if he is sanctioned. The GNC government also appears to be dragging its feet as far as passing judgement on the LPA is concerned.

Khalifa Al-Ghweil, prime minister of the GNC, just recently denounced its negotiating team for agreeing to the final LPA. He said that the document contradicted the 17 February revolution principles. He also said that they should not have continued in the talks while Khalifa Haftar was launching military operations in Benghazi. The UN denounced the attacks called "Operation Doom" and suggested they could derail the talks. Al-Ghweil called for suspension of the dialogue until attacks on Benghazi and also Al-Kufra in the south east also were stopped. Ghweil even suggested there could be an alternative peace dialogue of elders from different Libyan cities and towns. Leon has issued no press releases of late updating us on the status of the dialogue. We should hear something soon. As of now, it looks as if the process has stalled.