Libya gunmen seize ministers in bid to stop rival government

Bloomberg

Libyan lawmakers’ plan to install a new government faced turmoil after gunmen seized two of the proposed ministers, escalating a standoff that risks reigniting conflict in the OPEC member.
The incoming foreign affairs and culture ministers were taken by unidentified men while en route to the eastern city of Tobruk, according to a statement from the office of Fathi Bashagha, the premier backed by Libya’s parliament to replace incumbent Abdul Hamid Dbeibah. He rejects the decision to oust him.
Bashagha accused Dbeibah of ordering the closure of Libyan airspace to prevent travel to Tobruk for the new government’s swearing-in by the assembly on Thursday and said the “same parties” were behind the kidnappings. Other politicians have arrived in the city and the ceremony will go ahead, he said.
Representatives for Dbeibah didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment.
Lawmakers argue that Dbeibah’s mandate expired after the North African country failed to hold presidential elections in December as planned. He says he will only step down after the vote takes place, sparking fears that Libya may split again into dueling administrations, as it did for years following 2014 until a fragile United Nations-backed reconciliation.
The UN secretary-general has expressed concern over reports that this week’s parliamentary vote to confirm the new government “fell short of the expected standards of transparency and procedures” and included acts of intimidation before the session.
Another blow to the new government’s plans came with the resignation of the designated economy and trade minister, Libyan channel 218 TV reported Thursday.
Bashagha, who was security chief for the government based in the capital Tripoli when the country was divided, has insisted the transition will be peaceful and lawful.
But events can spiral quickly in Libya, where myriad militias that emerged amid the 2011 Nato-backed overthrow of dictator Moammar Al Qaddafi wield much of the power. Libya has Africa’s biggest oil reserves, and energy production has often been at the heart of the political conflict, with armed groups or protesters periodically shutting down facilities to press demands.
Dbeibah, who’s also in charge of defense issues in his government, in a March 1 statement warned military and paramilitary units against making any movements without getting permission, media outlets including Libya Al Ahrar reported Thursday.
“Bashagha may have support from the Libyan parliament, but to displace Dbeibah as prime minister he will need to win international recognition and establish himself physically in the capital,” said Hamish Kinnear, an analyst at Verisk Maplecroft.
“Given that the Dbeibah government warned against any attempt to use force to occupy government buildings, there is now the prospect of inter-militia conflict in Tripoli as armed groups loyal to Bashagha and Dbeibah battle for control,” he said.