The parallel government installed in Benghazi, Libya's second city, has resigned following protests that have rocked cities in the east of the country in recent days against corruption and the deterioration of living conditions.
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Abdallah al-Theni, head of the parallel government, "
presented his resignation (and that of his government, editor's note) on Sunday at a meeting with the President of Parliament
" installed in Tobruk (east), the spokesperson said on Sunday evening. word of the Prime Minister in a press release.
Libya is torn by a conflict between two rival powers: the Government of National Unity (GNA) recognized by the UN and based in Tripoli and a power embodied by Marshal Khalifa Haftar, who reigns over the East and part of the South.
Since 2014, the country has found itself with two governments and two parliaments.
Theni's resignation "
will be considered during a session in Parliament,
" the
Parliament
spokesman announced without further details.
It intervenes against a background of social discontent in eastern Libya against the deterioration of living conditions and services, but above all against the corruption of power.
Rare protest movement
In a rare protest movement in this region, hundreds of Libyans have been demonstrating since Thursday in Benghazi - cradle of the popular revolt that ended Muammar Gaddafi's dictatorship in 2011 - and in other cities.
Protesting peacefully at first, demonstrators torched the seat of the parallel government early on Sunday.
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In al-Marj, a hundred kilometers east of Benghazi, police fired live ammunition to disperse demonstrators who forced the entrance of the city's police headquarters on the night of Saturday to Sunday, causing at least five injured according to witnesses contacted by AFP and the city's central hospital.
The UN mission in Libya said it was "
gravely concerned by reports that a civilian was killed, three others injured and several other protesters arrested on September 12 following the excessive use of force by the authorities
" to al-Marj.
Libya has the most abundant oil reserves in Africa.
Since January, pro-Haftar groups have blocked oil fields and ports, demanding a fair distribution of oil revenues managed by the GNA.
This blockage, which caused more than $ 9.6 billion (8.1 billion euros) in lost revenue, according to the latest figures from the National Oil Company, exacerbated electricity and fuel shortages in the country.
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