Rival Libyan prime minister Fathi Bashagha says he has no plans to rule from Tripoli

One of Libya’s disputed prime ministers has said he has no immediate plans to rule from the capital Tripoli.

Fathi Bashagha's attempted move there last week caused clashes and fears of a return to widespread civil strife.

He said late on Wednesday that his government would work from its headquarters in Sirte, a city on the Mediterranean coast that is about halfway between the country’s east and west, AP reported.

Rival administrations from each end of the North African country claim to be its legitimate rulers until elections are held.

Mr Bashagha said he had entered Tripoli last week in a civilian car and those escorting him were unarmed.

He identified a young man killed during the incident as Ahmed Alashabab, calling him a supporter who was defending him from militiamen.

“We do not blame ourselves for having entered the city,” he said. “I had said that I would not enter the capital unless conditions were 100 per cent favourable.”

Oil-rich Libya has been wracked by conflict since a Nato-backed uprising toppled and killed longtime dictator Muammar Qaddafi in 2011.

It has been split between rival administrations in the east and west, each supported by different militias and foreign governments. The establishment of Mr Bashagha’s government in Sirte is expected to further cement the political divide.

Mr Bashagha, a former interior minister and air force pilot, was named prime minister by the country’s eastern-based parliament in February.

However, his rival, Abdul Hamid Dbeibah, who is based in Tripoli in the country’s west, has refused to step down, insisting he will hand over power only to an elected government.

Last week’s fighting in Tripoli was the most serious there since 2020, when Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, the eastern-based commander of the Libyan National Army, and his forces waged a year-long campaign to try to take the city with the backing of Russian mercenaries.

They eventually failed to do so after forces in Tripoli were supported by Turkish troops. Since then, UN mediators have tried to put the country on a path towards elections.

Mr Dbeibah’s appointment last year, as part of the UN-led process, was clouded by allegations of corruption and bribery. As an interim prime minister, he was to have led the country through elections in December, but the vote never took place.

Both Mr Dbeibah and Mr Bashagha hail from the western city of Misurata, a base of influential militias.

Politicians have argued that Mr Dbeibah’s mandate expired after Libya failed to hold presidential elections on schedule.

The failure was a major blow to international efforts to end a decade of chaos in Libya. The country reverted to its long-running political impasse, with rival governments claiming power.

Mr Dbeibah has repeatedly promised to hold elections soon. However, Mr Bashagha said he doubts his rival can unite the country and organise orderly voting, claiming Mr Dbeibah does not command enough loyalty outside of the capital.

“He will only be able to hold them in Tripoli,” he said. He said his own government is looking at holding nationwide elections within 14 months.