Hundreds of Libyans, mostly young people, demonstrated Tuesday in Tripoli for the third consecutive day against corruption and the deterioration of their living conditions, in a protest movement closely supervised by the police. The new demonstration took place despite an intervention Monday by the head of the Government of National Unity (GNA), Fayez al-Sarraj, who said he was determined to fight corruption and promised an upcoming cabinet reshuffle.
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In oppressive heat, demonstrators marched through the streets before converging on Martyrs Square in the center of the Libyan capital, according to an AFP journalist on the spot. Similar protests took place on Sunday and Monday to protest against deteriorating public services, frequent power and water cuts and long lines outside gas stations in a country that has oil reserves. most abundant in Africa. Above all, the demonstrators denounce the corruption which adds to the ordeal of a population exhausted by several years of conflict.
"We must judge the corrupt!", We can read on one of the signs held up by the demonstrators. Since the fall of Muammar Gaddafi's regime in 2011 after a popular revolt, Libya has been plagued by insecurity and struggles for influence. It is headed today by two rival entities: the GNA, based in Tripoli and recognized by the UN, and a power embodied by Khalifa Haftar, the strong man of eastern Libya. The rally was supervised by the police, to avoid clashes, as was the case on Sunday when unidentified armed men opened fire on the protesters and injured some of them.
In his televised address Monday evening, Fayez al-Sarraj tried to appease him by stressing “the legitimate right” of all Libyans to express themselves. "We recognize (...) our share of responsibility" for the deterioration of the situation, but this crisis "has been going on for years." He promised a cabinet reshuffle. "Based on my political and national responsibilities, I will take certain decisions, in particular the modification of certain ministerial portfolios." "The choice of new ministers will be made on the basis of their competence, their capacities and their integrity" , underlined Fayez al-Sarraj. If this project is contested, he warned that he was ready to resort to “exceptional measures” to effect this reshuffle.