A new statement coming out of the office of Prime Minister Khalifa Ghweil is claiming that one of several existing Libyan “governments,” the National Salvation Government (NSG), intends to cease all duties and absolve itself of all responsibility for government business.
The NSG has been the Tripoli-based parliament, with influence over western parts of the country. This was the result of a split with the other parliament, which fled to Tobruk and operated in the far northeast. The UN backed the Tobruk version.
The situation grew even more complicated last week, with the also UN-backed “unity” government sneaking into Tripoli by ship and setting up shop on a naval base. This made the NSG one of three governments, and the only one not “UN recognized.”
Ghweil’s office claimed the effort was intended to stop the ongoing civil war, though the NSG had only really been fighting against ISIS in recent months. The statement follows EU-imposed sanctions on Ghweil for heading a government other than the unity government. The statement notably didn’t include any signatures from anyone else involved, which might suggest this wasn’t a unanimous decision.