The European Union is closely monitoring developments in Libya torn by violent clashes and exchange of fire between militia aligned with the central government and forces supporting parallel Prime Minister Fathi Bashagha, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said on Tuesday
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 17th May, 2022) The European Union is closely monitoring developments in Libya torn by violent clashes and exchange of fire between militia aligned with the central government and forces supporting parallel Prime Minister Fathi Bashagha, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said on Tuesday.
Earlier in the day, Bashagha's attempt to enter the Lybian capital, Tripoli, was met with violent clashes between rival armed groups. Bashagha managed to escape from the city center to its outskirts and then left the capital to prevent further bloodshed.
"We are following extremely closely this situation in Libya ... because (Libya) was in a relatively calm situation for some months and now war starts again, so we will have to have a look at the situation there. It's very worrying what's happening," Borrell said upon his arrival at the EU Foreign Affairs Council.
Libya has been being split between two rival administrations since its longtime leader Muammar Gaddafi was overthrown and murdered in a NATO-led intervention in 2011. The western part of the country is controlled by the Government of National Unity headed by Abdul Hamid Dbeibah. The eastern part is under control of the Libyan National Army led by Khalifa Haftar, who supported Bashagha.
Dbeibah was elected as interim prime minister in a UN-brokered vote in February 2021. He was supposed to yield power to new authorities after a general election in December of that year, but the Libyan electoral authority canceled the vote. In March, the eastern-based Libyan House of Representatives elected Bashagha as prime minister.
