Libya's Prime Minister of the Government of National Unity (GNU), Abdul Hamid Dbeibah, has called on armed groups to align themselves with state institutions following several days of clashes in Tripoli, Libyan channel Tabadul TV reports.
"I urge members of armed groups to join state institutions and seek their rights through legitimate channels. Any party that sides with the state will be welcomed. But for those who continue with blackmail and corruption, we will not be lenient," Dbeibah stated.
He emphasized that armed groups have grown more powerful than the state itself, and that his government has had to confront this reality since coming to power.
Earlier in May, the head of Libya's High State Council, Khaled al-Mishri, called on the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aguila Saleh, to initiate the process of appointing a new interim prime minister amid anti-government protests in Tripoli.
The situation in Tripoli worsened dramatically overnight on May 12-13, after clashes broke out between Mahmoud Hamza's 444th Brigade and the Security and Stability Support Apparatus. The escalation was triggered by the death of the apparatus's head, Abdelghani al-Kikli. Fighting continued for several hours. Following the clashes, the Defense Ministry, part of the GNU, announced the successful completion of a stabilization operation. Prime Minister Dbeibah also unveiled reforms for the capital's security system.
However, these measures sparked a new wave of unrest and further clashes. According to Libyan medical officials, at least six people, including civilians, were killed and about 70 injured in a single night. On the evening of May 14, mass protests broke out in the city, with participants blaming Dbeibah's cabinet for the situation and demanding his resignation. In the early hours of May 17, one protester was killed and several injured as forces supporting the GNU opened fire during a demonstration.
