Tripoli - The African Mirror

Aug

2020

Libya’s Tripoli government imposes COVID-19 curfew after protests escalate

LIBYA’S Tripoli-based government has announced a 24-hour curfew to halt the spread of the novel coronavirus as it struggles to contain protests over deteriorating living conditions and corruption. The curfew, which took effect on Wednesday night, was imposed by the internationally recognised Government of National Accord (GNA) three days after protests in the capital and the nearby town of Zawiya began to escalate. The decision exempts people who need to go out for essential food or medicine at nearby shops, but it angered protest supporters who posted messages online saying it was designed to prevent further demonstrations. Some defied the…

Aug

2020

By The African Mirror

Libya’s rival authorities announce ceasefire

NEWS

LIBYA’S internationally recognised government in Tripoli announced a ceasefire and the leader of a rival parliament in eastern Libya also appealed for a halt to hostilities. The statements offered hope for a de-escalation of a conflict that has wracked the country since a 2011 uprising, displacing hundreds of thousands, slashing oil production, and opening space for migrant smugglers and militants. However, previous efforts to secure lasting ceasefires have stalled, and political leaders hold limited sway over armed groups in two broad factions that have been largely split between the west and east of Libya since 2014. The Tripoli-based Government of…

Aug

2020

By The African Mirror

Pandemic starts to surge in conflict-hit Libya

COVID-19

AS coronavirus cases surge in Libya, medics and officials working with a health system wrecked by years of division and war are warning that the pandemic could be slipping out of their control. The conflict has also restricted movement within Libya, and confirmed cases remained low during the first months of the outbreak. Now, infections are jumping by up to several hundred per day to reach a total of nearly 8,200, including more than 150 deaths. Hotspots include the capital Tripoli and the large port city of Misrata in the west, and the city of Sabha in the south. Medics…

Jul

2020

By The African Mirror

Libya to impose full lockdown as pandemic cases grow

COVID-19

LIBYA's internationally recognised government in Tripoli will impose a full lockdown in areas of the country it controls, it said on Thursday, after a sharp rise in coronavirus cases. Libya, split since 2014 between areas held by the Government of National Accord (GNA) in Tripoli and a rival administration in the east, managed to avoid an early surge of the pandemic. However, the disease has been spreading more quickly this month and Libya's National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), one of the few bodies that operates across the country despite the conflict, has confirmed 3,222 cases. Libya's health system is…

Jul

2020

By The African Mirror

Libyans face painful power cuts as years of chaos hit grid

NEWS

WARFARE has stopped - for now - in the Libyan capital, but long power blackouts caused by years of poor maintenance still cause misery in the scorching summer weather. The blackouts have led to protests, and armed men storming electricity facilities to demand engineers bring back power, underscoring continued instability even after an assault by eastern forces on Tripoli ended last month. Conflict continues, fought between the internationally recognised Government of National Accord (GNA), backed by Turkey, and the eastern-based Libyan National Army (LNA) backed by the United Arab Emirates, Russia and Egypt. The LNA assault on Tripoli added to…