CAIRO — One of Libya’s rival prime ministers said Wednesday he would seat his government in the central city of Sirte, after clashes forced him to abort his attempt the previous day to bring his Cabinet to the Libyan capital of Tripoli. Prime Minister Fathi Bashagha announced that he has chosen the city of Sirte, along Libya’s Mediterranean coast and half way between the country’s east and west, serving as a link between them. Bashagha, a former interior minister, was named prime minister by the country’s east-based parliament in February. But his rival, Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah, based in Tripoli, in the country’s west, has refused to step down, insisting he will hand over power only to an elected government. “Libya will not be stopped by a city or region,” Bashagha told reporters from Sirte late Tuesday, describing Tripoli as a “kidnaped city” held by his rival, Dbeibah.

Source: Libya Today May 19, 2022 06:37 UTC