Protesters in Libya are calling for the prime minister’s resignation following the resignation of three ministers

The government of Libya reported that one member of the security force was murdered when protesters attempted to attack the prime minister’s office on Friday, while hundreds of demonstrators demanded the overthrow of the internationally recognized leader.

At least three ministers resigned in support of the demonstrators, who want the resignation of Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah.

The protesters gathered in Tripoli’s Martyrs’ Square, shouting “We want elections” and “The nation wants to topple the government.”

They thereafter marched to the city center’s major government building. One protester declared, “We won’t leave until he leaves.”

The protesters hoisted images of Dbeibah, Interior Minister Emad Tarbulsi, and national security adviser Ibrahim Dbeibah with red-crossed faces.

Oil and gas exports are functioning routinely, according to a statement from the state-owned oil company NOC, which added that activities at its oil facilities are going according to plan. An estimated 1,376,415 barrels of oil were produced nationwide in the last 24 hours.

In 2021, Dbeibah, who is in charge of the Government of National Unity in the divided nation, was elected through a UN-sponsored process. Due to disputes between opposing factions, planned elections did not take place that year, and he has stayed in power ever since.

Following the release of video evidence demonstrating the destruction of the building’s fence with rocks on the ground, the government media platform said that one member of their building protection team had been slain.

“Security forces thwarted an attempted storming of the Prime Minister’s Office by a group embedded among the demonstrators,” the statement stated.

Wael Abdulhafed, a merchant, stated on Friday: “We are here today to show our indignation against Dbeibah and all those in power for years and (who) hold elections back. They are required to relinquish authority.

Demands for Dbeibah’s resignation escalated following this week’s fiercest fighting in years between two opposing armed groups in the city. The United Nations noted that eight civilians were murdered.

After the prime minister gave the order to disband the armed organizations on Tuesday, violence erupted. Dbeibah has been under fire from protesters for failing to bring stability back and for allegedly helping armed groups gain more authority.

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

After the government declared a ceasefire, the fighting subsided on Wednesday, with the death of militia leader Abdulghani Kikli, popularly known as Ghaniwa.

In response to the increasing violence in Tripoli, the UN Support Mission in Libya voiced its alarm and urged all parties to take the necessary precautions to safeguard people and property.

The long-standing tyrant Muammar Gaddafi was overthrown in an uprising supported by NATO in 2011, but Libya has not been stable since. Though a major conflict was halted by a truce in 2020, the country was divided in 2014 between opposing eastern and western factions.

Khalifa Haftar and his Libyan National Army have ruled eastern Libya for ten years, but many armed groups have divided authority in Tripoli and western Libya.

Southern and eastern Libya, remote from the battle in Tripoli, are home to the major energy exporter’s primary oil facilities. According to engineers at a number of oil fields and export terminals, the fights had little impact on output, Reuters said.