UN condemns protesters' storming of Libya's parliament

Libya's charred parliament building is seen in Tobruk, Libya, July 2, 2022. (AP photo)

CAIRO -

A senior UN official for Libya on Saturday condemned the storming of the parliament's headquarters by angry demonstrators as part of protests in several cities against the political class and deteriorating economic conditions.

Hundreds of protesters marched in the streets of the capital, Tripoli, and other Libyan cities on Friday, with many attacking and setting fire to government buildings, including the House of Representatives in the eastern city of Tobruk.

"The people's right to peacefully protest should be respected and protected but riots and acts of vandalism such as the storming of the House of Representatives headquarters late yesterday in Tobruk are totally unacceptable," said Stephanie Williams, the UN special adviser on Libya, on Twitter.

Friday's protests came a day after the leaders of the parliament and another legislative chamber based in Tripoli failed to reach an agreement on elections during UN-mediated talks in Geneva. The dispute now centres on the eligibility requirements for candidates, according to the United Nations.

Libya failed to hold elections in December, following challenges such as legal disputes, controversial presidential hopefuls and the presence of rogue militias and foreign fighters in the country.

The failure to hold the vote was a major below to international efforts to bring peace to the Mediterranean nation. It has opened a new chapter in its long-running political impasse, with two rival governments now claiming power after tentative steps toward unity in the past year.

The protesters, frustrated from years of chaos and division, have called for the removal of the current political class and elections to be held. They also rallied against dire economic conditions in the oil-rich nation, where prices have risen for fuel and bread and power outages are a regular occurrence.

There were fears that militias across the country could quash the protests as they did in 2020 demonstrations when they opened fire on people protesting dire economic conditions.

Sabadell Jose, the European Union envoy in Libya, called on protesters to "avoid any type of violence." He said Friday's demonstrations demonstrated that people want "change through elections and their voices should be heard."

The U.S. ambassador to Libya, Richard Norland, urged Libyan political leaders and their foreign backers to work for a compromise to hold elections.

"It is clear no single political entity enjoys legitimate control across the entire country and any effort to impose a unilateral solution will result in violence," he warned on Twitter following a call with Mohammad Younes Menfi, head of the Libyan presidential council.

Libya has been wrecked by conflict since a NATO-backed uprising toppled and killed longtime dictator Moammar Gadhafi in 2011. The country was then for years split between rival administrations in the east and west, each supported by different militias and foreign governments.

1/2 The people's right to peacefully protest should be respected and protected but riots and acts of vandalism such as the storming of the House of Representatives headquarters late yesterday in Tobruk are totally unacceptable.

— Stephanie Turco Williams (@SASGonLibya) July 2, 2022

1/3 Amb Norland: “I received a call from PC President Menfi this evening and used the opportunity to convey deep U.S. concern about the political, economic and financial stalemate that resulted in scenes of turmoil such as those we saw yesterday across the country. #Libya pic.twitter.com/KJKWm4Url5

— U.S. Embassy - Libya (@USEmbassyLibya) July 2, 2022