Libya: government delegation in Benghazi to complete power handover

A delegation representing Libya’s Government of National Unity headed by Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh arrived in the eastern city of Benghazi on Tuesday to complete the power handover by what is known as the Interim Government of Abdullah Al-Thani.

After years of conflict, the Dbeibeh government took power on 10 March. Prior to that, there was an internationally recognised government in the capital, Tripoli, and another in the east headed by Al-Thani.

A source in Benghazi told Anadolu that the delegation representing the new Libyan government included Deputy Prime Ministers Hussein Atiya Al-Qatrani and Ramadan Boujnah, as well as some unnamed ministers. The source added that Al-Thani’s government, which is supported by the Tobruk Parliament, will hand power over to the delegation, but provided no further details.

Last Tuesday, the head of the Presidential Council of the Government of National Accord, Fayez Al-Sarraj, handed power over to Dbeibeh at the GNA’s headquarters in Tripoli.

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On 5 February, the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum (LPDF) under the auspices of the United Nations elected a unified executive authority, which includes the Dbeibeh government and a presidential council headed by Muhammad Al-Manfi. They have been charged with leading Libya to parliamentary and presidential elections scheduled for 24 December.

Libyans hope that the unified authority will help to end years of armed conflict, which resulted from Khalifa Haftar’s dispute with the internationally-recognised GNA over legitimacy and power in the oil-rich country.