European Union officials have announced their intention to back the Libyan “unity government,” which after two months existing in exile finally snuck into Tripoli last night, and is considering a “civilian security mission” aimed at propping them up as the government of Libya.
The creation of the “unity government” was backed by the UN, but the faction has been disavowed by every other faction within Libya since. Western officials are eager to see the group installed, as they are likely to back foreign military interventions into Libyan territory.
The EU also announced sanctions against three parliamentary leaders in Libya to show their support for the “unity government” and objection to all potential rivals. This included the head of the UN-backed parliament in Tobruk, the head of the Tripoli-based parliament, and the former head of the now defunct national parliament.
In theory, both of these existing parliaments are to have some lawmaking power under the new unity government, but neither recognizes the legitimacy of the body to begin with. It is unclear why Nousi Abu-Sahmen was sanctioned, since he has no position in any existing Libyan faction of note, and hasn’t been politically involved in over a year.