Rifts appearing within GNA amid reports of corruption

Ahmed Adel

Rifts are appearing between the prime minister of the Tripoli-based Government (GNA) Fayez al-Sarraj, on one hand, and Ahmed Metig, one of his deputies, and Abdel Salam Kajman, another senior GNA official, on the other.

These rifts are opening the door for revelations about corruption within the GNA.

Deteriorating living conditions in Tripoli are, meanwhile, giving rise to opposition to the policies of the GNA which is backed by Turkey. Those expressing opposition to the policies of the government also call for improving basic services in the Libyan capital.

The situation in Tripoli took a new turn when Metig denounced conditions in it and asked citizens to take to the streets to protest and call for bringing corrupt government officials to account.

He asked the GNA Interior Ministry to protect the demonstrators.

However, al-Sarraj imposed a state of emergency in the Libyan capital to prevent citizens from taking to the streets and protesting.

Calls were made on social media on August 7 for staging an uprising against the GNA and its representatives.

Some people even called for bringing the Tripoli-based government down because of deteriorating basic services in the Libyan capital.

They referred to the accumulation of wastes on the streets of Tripoli and an unprecedented rise in the prices of basic commodities.

The mandate given the Libyan Investment Corporation is also fueling debates in Tripoli.

Kajman, a deputy of al-Sarraj, denounced on August 6 the GNA prime minister’s total control over the corporation.

He called on al-Sarraj to change his conduct. Kajman also called for changing the formation of the corporation as well as the laws regulating its work.

This caused Abdel Baset Marawan, the commander of what is known as the Tripoli Military Zone, an affiliate of the GNA, to criticize Kajman and Metig. He accused them of working to sabotage the work of the GNA.

Marawan also declared support to the Presidential Council which is also headed by al-Sarraj.

He accused the two men of serving the interests of regional powers that want to bring the Presidential Council down.