TRIPOLI: Protesters angry with Libya’s political deadlock took to the streets again on Sunday amid fears of wider unrest in the country.
A video on social media showed a crowd of young people protesting overnight outside the Presidency Council in Tripoli, holding placards demanding its resignation.
Protesters rallied in other parts of Tripoli, where they torched car tyres and demanded an end to frequent power outages, witnesses said.
Similar protests were reportedly held in the coastal city of Zliten and the city of Misrata, west of Tripoli.
The protests came a day after angry demonstrators attacked the parliament in Libya’s eastern city of Tobruk and set parts of it on fire.
The violence coincided with a series of protests on Friday in several parts of the oil-rich country.
The United Nations said its Secretary General Antonio Guterres was following the demonstrations with concern.
He called on protesters to avoid violence and on security forces to exercise restraint, according to a statement attributed to his spokesperson Stephane Dujarric.
Libya has been in turmoil since the 2011 overthrow of dictator Muammar Gaddaffi. Two governments are currently vying for power. Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh is seated in Tripoli. The government of former interior minister Fathi Bashagha claims power for itself, having been appointed by the parliament based in the country’s east.
This week, UN-sponsored talks between leaders of the opposing camps ended in Geneva without a final agreement. – dpa
