Bashagha plans to take office in Tripoli in coming days

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Libya's Fathi Bashagha, appointed as prime minister in a challenge to a unity government in Tripoli, plans to take office in the capital "in the coming days," he told AFP.

In February, Libya's parliament picked the former interior minister to lead a government to replace that of interim premier Abdulhamid Dbeibah - appointed last year as part of a UN-backed peace process to end more than a decade of violence in the North African country.

But Dbeibah has refused to hand over power before elections, setting up a confrontation with Bashagha.

In May, Bashagha arrived in the capital Tripoli in the country's west and attempted to take office there, sparking clashes between armed groups supporting him and those backing Dbeibah.

Bashagha told AFP that he backed down to avoid bloodshed, but said that he has since received "positive invitations" to enter the capital.

"All the roads are open into Tripoli and God willing we'll be there in the coming days," he said in an interview, on Friday, from his temporary base in the central city of Sirte.

The appointed prime minister indicated that "Some armed forces have changed their position and have nothing against us entering the capital."

Bashagha: Dbeibah's government is "illegitimate"

Dbeibah came to power following a landmark 2020 ceasefire that ended a year-long battle as eastern strongman Khalifa Haftar tried unsuccessfully to seize Tripoli by force.

The transitional government had a mandate to lead the country to elections last December, but they never took place due to divisions over the rules and the presence of controversial candidates.

Bashagha, 59, argues that today, Dbeibah's government is "illegitimate".

"Its mandate is over, and it failed to make elections happen," he said.

For elections to take place, he added, "the only condition is that Libya only has one government. Two governments is not acceptable."

Bashagha, a former fighter pilot trainer, was Interior Minister between 2018 and 2021. He said that he did not believe there would be a return to war, but warned that "there might be chaos because of demonstrations."

Bashagha: Adopt solutions that work for Libyans

His comments came days after protestors stormed Libya's parliament building in the eastern city of Tobruk, demonstrating against the political elite - including both Dbeibah and Bashagha - and deteriorating living conditions.

The three days of demonstrations, fuelled by public anger over chronic power cuts that have shut down air-conditioning units at the height of summer, also hit other cities including Tripoli and the eastern city of Benghazi.

Dbeibah's government has blamed the power cuts partly on fuel shortages caused by a blockade of key oil installations in Libya's east, by groups demanding Dbeibah's departure and a handover to Bashagha's government.

But Bashagha insisted there was "no link", indicating that once residents of the "Oil Crescent" region are "reassured that the revenues will not go to corruption, or theft or to other places, they will lift the siege on the oil exports."

The appointed prime minister also called on the world body "to adopt solutions that work for Libyans rather than just for the states that are interfering in Libya."

"We've succeeded in avoiding any military confrontation but Libya can't stay like this forever," he added, stressing that "There has to be a solution."