Salvation Friday: Libyans Hold Their Breath Amid Fears of Militia Chaos

23rd May 2025

4 minutes read

Salvation Friday: Libyans Hold Their Breath Amid Fears of Militia Chaos

Dismissed Libyan Mufti implicitly supports Dbeibah’s government, calling it the “lesser of two evils” compared to other political bodies.

Cities in western Libya are preparing for protests tomorrow, Friday, continuing a popular movement demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah, blaming him for the worsening security and economic conditions.

These calls are gaining momentum as the political deadlock persists, with no solution in sight and armed militias loyal to Dbeibah maintaining dominance over much of western Libya.

Tension grips the capital, which braces for large-scale demonstrations under the slogan “Salvation Friday”—the second such protest since the deadly clashes triggered by the assassination of Abdelghani al-Kikli, known as “Ghneiwa”, head of the Stability Support Apparatus under the Libyan Presidential Council.

Fears are mounting over a possible violent response from forces aligned with the Government of National Unity, especially given previous instances of protesters being shot, while Dbeibah remains adamant about staying in office.

Ousted Mufti Sadiq al-Ghariani, often seen as the spiritual leader of Libya’s Muslim Brotherhood, has used the current tensions to voice implicit support for Dbeibah’s government, portraying it as the least harmful option among current political bodies, including those recently proposed by the UN mission.

Speaking on Tanasuh TV, Ghariani stated that the interim Government of National Unity headed by Dbeibah is “the least harmful political body in Libya,” calling the proposals by the UN Advisory Committee “nonsense and corruption,” echoing his past criticism.

On the Facebook page of “Tanasuh News”, he added: “There are principles rooted in the Qur’an, authentic Sunnah, and agreed upon by the ummah: if one must choose between two evils, Islamic law requires choosing the lesser evil—not clinging to the greater one out of partisanship, lest one die in a state of ignorance.”

He also criticized the protesters, labeling them “illegitimate,” even though Souq al-Jumaa municipality previously called for a sit-in against Dbeibah, and 30 mayors demanded his departure, holding him responsible for the deteriorating conditions.

Presidential Council head Mohamed al-Menfi on Wednesday welcomed Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi’s call for dialogue and consensus among Libyan institutions to pave the way for long-delayed elections since 2021.

This followed Sisi’s meeting in Cairo with Masad Boulos, senior advisor to the U.S. President on Arab, Middle Eastern, and African affairs, according to a statement from Egypt’s presidency.

Sisi emphasized that Egypt, Libya’s eastern neighbor, is committed to supporting political efforts aimed at establishing a unified, credible government backed by the House of Representatives, the High Council of State, and the Presidential Council, tasked with organizing elections.

Menfi stated on X: “We welcome the Egyptian presidency’s statement calling for dialogue among Libyan institutions derived from the political agreement to reach general elections.” He added, “Until a president is elected by the people, appointing a prime minister remains the prerogative of the Presidential Council under the amended political agreement between the House of Representatives and the High Council of State.”

On Wednesday, Speaker of Parliament Aguila Saleh called for a formal session in Benghazi next Monday to hear the programs of candidates for the new premiership.

The House had suspended its session on Tuesday after two days of deliberations on forming a new unified government in coordination with the High Council of State. The current government has not yet commented but previously stated it would only hand over power to an administration appointed by a newly elected parliament.

That evening, the UN mission in Libya issued the recommendations of its advisory committee, formed to address key obstacles hindering elections.

The (6+6) Committee—comprising members from the House and the High Council—had issued electoral laws on June 6, 2023, but certain provisions sparked opposition.

The advisory committee offered options to resolve disagreements over linking presidential and parliamentary elections, candidate eligibility, mandatory presidential runoffs, forming a new government prior to elections, election appeals, representation of women and minorities, and seat allocation.

Four pathways were proposed: simultaneous presidential and parliamentary elections, parliamentary elections followed by a permanent constitution, adopting the constitution first, or forming a political dialogue committee to finalize election laws and the permanent constitution.