Eastern Libya News Part 2: Conflict with Tripoli?

Conflict with the Tripoli Government? Via Reuters, we learned earlier this month that the Prime Minister (in Tripoli) recently reshuffled his cabinet.

In the reshuffle, Serraj appointed Fathi Ali Bashagha as interior minister. He comes from the western city of Misrata and is close to its armed groups, some of which took part in the Tripoli clashes. The government also named a new economy and industry minister, Ali Abdulaziz Issawi, who comes from Benghazi in eastern Libya, home to a rival administration. Issawi is a veteran figure from the rebels who toppled Gaddafi.

I speculated at the time: It isn't mentioned in the Reuters article, but it would be interesting who lost their job as interior minister. Also, not sure if the economy and industry minister is a new position or got a new minister. Either way, someone has to be upset by these appointments.



Reuters (Oct 16) reports that Eastern Libya will be investigating the death of military leader Abdel Fattah Younes in 2011 (during the civil war). The prime suspect is Ali Essawai. Note: there is a spelling differences between the two Reuters reports. One spells the last name as Issawi while the second goes with Essawai.

His appointment had sparked angry reactions from Younes’s Obeidat tribe and a second eastern-based tribe, who warned in comments published on local media that the move was a provocation. Both tribes are among the most powerful in the east and allied to Haftar, who has conquered most of eastern Libya.

I admit I don't know enough about all the tribes and such so in my quote from earlier this month, I just made the assumption that someone would be unhappy about the appointment. I would hardly have suspected that the opposition would come from the East. Per the earlier Reuters report, it was mentioned that Essawai/Issawi was from the East. I assumed this was done to gain some favor with the East. That assumption was wrong. Or if it was a true assumption, it was a big misstep by the Tripoli government.

Eastern Libya ties with Egypt. Reuters also reported:

East Libyan forces on Monday captured a top suspected Egyptian militant long sought by Cairo on charges of orchestrating a deadly desert ambush on police last year and other high-profile attacks, the Libyan military said.

Just a little reminder that Egypt has strong ties with the LNA.