https://arab.news/4ks7j
- Libya is split between the UN-recognized government in Tripoli, led by Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah
- The clashes were sparked by the killing of an armed faction leader by a group aligned with Dbeibah鈥檚 government
ADIS ABABA: The African Union called for a permanent ceasefire in Libya on Saturday after deadly clashes in the capital earlier this month and demonstrations demanding the prime minister鈥檚 resignation.
The latest fighting in the conflict-torn North African country pitted an armed group aligned with the Tripoli-based government against factions it has sought to dismantle, resulting in at least eight dead, according to the United Nations.
Despite a lack of a formal ceasefire, the clashes mostly ended last week, with the Libya Defense Ministry saying this week that efforts toward a truce were 鈥渙ngoing.鈥�
On Saturday, the AU鈥檚 Peace and Security Council condemned the recent violence, calling for an 鈥渦nconditional and permanent ceasefire.鈥�
In a statement on X, the council urged 鈥渋nclusive, Libyan-led reconciliation,鈥� adding that it 鈥渁ppeals for no external interference.鈥�
Libya is split between the UN-recognized government in Tripoli, led by Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah, and a rival administration in the east.
The country has remained deeply divided since the 2011 NATO-backed revolt that toppled and killed longtime leader Muammar Qaddafi.
The clashes were sparked by the killing of an armed faction leader by a group aligned with Dbeibah鈥檚 government 鈥� the 444 Brigade, which later fought a third group, the Radaa force that controls parts of eastern Tripoli and the city鈥檚 airport.
It came after Dbeibah announced a string of executive orders seeking to dismantle Radaa and dissolve other Tripoli-based armed groups but excluding the 444 Brigade.