Over the past week, fighting in Tripoli and Misrata has claimed at least 17 lives in Libya, many of them civilians. Both Fathi Bashagha, one of Libya’s two competing prime ministers, and Abdul Hamid Dbeibah, whose internationally recognized administration is based in Tripoli, are from Misrata. The shutdown resulted in a loss of revenue to the Libyan government of more than $3 billion. The third-biggest city in Libya and the location of its main port, Misrata is referred to as the country’s economic center and is seen as a significant source of influence in western Libya. Many others in Misrata share that sentiment, which has given Bashagha an opportunity he did not previously have.
