Libyan protesters demand prime minister quit as three ministers resign

Hundreds of Libyan protesters called on Friday for the ouster of the internationally recognised prime minister, Abdulhamid Dbeibah, and at least three ministers resigned in sympathy with the protesters.

The demonstrators gathered in Martyrs' Square in Tripoli, chanting slogans such as "The nation wants to topple the government” and “We want elections.”

They then marched to the main government building in the city center. "We won't leave until he leaves," one protester said.

The marchers carried pictures of Dbeibah, national security adviser Ibrahim Dbeibah and Interior Minister Emad Tarbulsi with their faces crossed out in red

Dbeibah, who leads the divided country's Government of National Unity, came to power through a UN-backed process in 2021. Planned elections failed to proceed that year because of disagreements among rival factions, and he has remained in power.

On Friday, businessman Wael Abdulhafed said, "We are (here) today to express our anger against Dbeibah and all those in the power for years now and (who) prevent elections. They must leave power."

Calls for Dbeibah to resign increased after two rival armed groups clashed in the capital this week in the heaviest fighting in years. Eight civilians were killed, according to the United Nations.

Violence flared after the prime minister on Tuesday ordered the armed groups to be dismantled. Demonstrators have accused Dbeibah of failing to restore stability and of being complicit in the growing power of armed groups.

Economy and Trade Minister Mohamed al-Hawij, Local Government Minister Badr Eddin al-Tumi and Minister of Housing Abu Bakr al-Ghawi resigned on Friday.

Militia leader Abdulghani Kikli, widely known as Ghaniwa, died in the clashes, which calmed on Wednesday after the government announced a ceasefire.

Libya has had little stability since a 2011 NATO-backed uprising ousted longtime autocrat Muammar Gaddafi. The country split in 2014 between rival eastern and western factions, though an outbreak of major warfare paused with a truce in 2020.

While eastern Libya has been dominated for a decade by commander Khalifa Haftar and his Libyan National Army, control in Tripoli and western Libya has been splintered among numerous armed factions.

The main oil facilities in the major energy exporter are located in southern and eastern Libya, far from fighting in Tripoli. Engineers at several oil fields and export terminals told Reuters output remained unaffected by the clashes.