Libya’s eastern administration has officially handed over power to a new executive that is meant to unify the war-torn country and steer it towards elections late this year.
The Government of National Unity (GNU), selected through a UN-supported process, is the latest internationally-backed attempt to end a decade of chaos in the North African nation and unite rival administrations.
Led by interim Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah, the GNU replaces both the Tripoli-based Government of National Accord (GNA) and the parallel eastern cabinet headquartered in the Cyrenaica region and not recognised by the international community.
Tuesday’s handover of power took place in Libya’s second city of Benghazi, the seat of the eastern administration.
Hussein Attiya al-Gotrani – one of Dbeibah’s two deputy prime ministers – and several ministers who had come from the capital, including Interior Minister Khaled Mazen, represented the GNU, according to reports.
“The period of division is over,” Gotrani was quoted by local media as saying. “The Government of National Unity is at the service of all Libyans, whatever their region.”
The handover came a week after GNA head Fayez al-Sarraj formally ceded power to the new unity administration.
Source:aljazeera.com
