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According to Agence France-Presse, around the early morning of May 17 local time, Prime Minister-designate Basharqa, who was voted by the Libyan National Assembly, arrived in tripoli, the country's capital. Militants who supported Transitional Government Prime Minister Debeba then engaged in an exchange of fire with supporters of Bashaga.
Bashaga reportedly chose to leave a few hours after arriving in Tripoli that day, saying it took into account the safety of its citizens. Agence France-Presse reported that there were no reports of casualties caused by the conflict.
Sumaya, a resident of Tripoli, said: "[This conflict] is like a war, as if nothing has changed, there are planes in the sky, there are ammunition firing, just like a war, I am afraid it will cause more damage." ”
On 17 May, The Chairman of Libya's Supreme State Council, Khalid Al-Maishri, condemned the exchange of fire, called for an immediate cessation of such conflicts, and stressed that following the constitutional process is the only solution to the current political impasse in Libya, which needs a peaceful and transparent transition of power.
Stephanie Williams, head of the U.N. support mission in Libya, called on all parties to exercise restraint and expressed opposition to any dissemination of inflammatory rhetoric or the gathering of armed forces.
After the overthrow of the Qaddafi regime in 2011, Libya was plunged into turmoil. The Government of National Unity, recognized by the United Nations and supported by its armed forces, controlled parts of the western part of the country, while the National Assembly allied itself with the "National Army" to control most of the eastern and southern parts.
The Libyan Political Dialogue Forum meeting, which was held in Geneva, Switzerland, last February, elected the Libyan Unified Interim Administration in Geneva, Switzerland, and the independent Debeba was elected Prime Minister of the Transitional Government; however, the National Assembly voted to withdraw confidence in the Transitional Government last September and unanimously voted in February to elect Bashaga as the new Prime Minister to succeed Debeba.
(Editor: Yin Zi)