A police officer murdered while the country sees renewed mortal clashes after the murder of a militia commander.
Several ministers with the internationally recognized government of Libya have resigned in support of the protesters who ask Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah to resign.
The Government on Friday said Friday that a police officer was killed in an “assault attempt” at the prime minister while thousands of Libyans marched to squares and several areas in the capital, Tripoli.
“He was shot by unknown attackers and succumbed to his wounds,” said a statement, added that the members of a group that mixed with the protesters tried to set the office set up using Molotov cocktails.
The Minister of Economy and Commerce, Mohamed Al-Hawij, the local government minister, Badr Eddin Al-Tumi, and Housing Minister Abu Bakr Al-Ghawi resigned, according to a video published by two of those ministers, as well as the reports of the local media.
The Government had previously denied the reports of the resignations of the ministers.
Meanwhile, in the city of Misrata, the protesters gathered in support of Dbeibah and his government.
The protests follow a wave of violence in Tripoli last week that led to the death of at least eight civilians. Mortal clashes began after the powerful leader of the Abdelghani Al-Kikli militia, also known as Gheniwa, was killed in an ambush in a military base.
Dbeibah tried to consolidate power and affirm control after the murder, with more clashes after the week.
Before the demonstrations, the United Nations support mission in Libya (Smil) had emphasized the “right of citizens to the peaceful protest” and warned “any escalation of violence.”
To the report of Tripoli, Malik Traina de Al Jazeera said that Libyans want to see an important change since people are “extremely frustrated” with the security situation.
“Libyans are asking for elections and want to express their opinion and put those who want in power,” he said.
The Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement on Saturday that Cairo was closely monitoring the developments in Libya, and urged all parties to exercise “maximum restriction.” He also advised Egyptian citizens in Libya to remain cautious and stay in their homes until the situation is clarified.
Libya has been in agitation since an uprising backed by NATO in 2011, which ended up dividing the country between two rival administrations.
The Government of National Unit of Dbeibah (GNU) has maintained control over western Libya since 2021, while an administration backed by the renegade military commander Khalifa Haftar leaders in the east.
Libya was scheduled to hold national elections at the end of 2021, which were postponed indefinitely due to disputes about the eligibility of candidates, constitutional rules and concerns about security, since rival governments could not agree on a framework.
