Both Libyan Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh and Prime Minister-designate Fathi Bashagha “want to avoid escalating violence,” US Ambassador to Libya Richard Norland said.
The US Embassy in Tripoli said in a statement that Norland spoke over the phone with both Dbeibeh and Bashagha where they gave “their mutual commitment to holding elections as soon as possible.”
Norland expressed that he urged both names to consider ways in which to manage Libya’s affairs while efforts are underway, with UN facilitation, to rapidly restore momentum towards parliamentary and presidential elections.
As the Tobruk-based parliament on Thursday gave confidence to a new government headed by Bashagha while Dbeibeh insists on continuing with his post and duties as Prime Minister, Libya is undergoing a deep political rift.
The Dbeibeh government warned that it would consider any attempt to storm its headquarters as an “attack against the government.”
