In Libya, protesters stormed into a key energy complex near Tripoli amid anti-government demonstrations over prolonged power outages, raising fears of a nationwide blackout.
The protesters entered the Mellitah Oil & Gas complex yesterday and closed the gas lines used to operate power plants to generate electricity. The Power company operating the complex warned that the disruption could trigger widespread blackouts and collapse the electricity grid.
Demonstrations have spread across western Libya, including Zawiya, Tripoli, and Misrata, over hour long outages. Protesters are demanding improved electricity services and the resignation of Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah’s Government of National Unity.
Mr. Dbeibah leads the internationally recognised government in Tripoli, while Osama Hammad heads the administration in the east, where the powerful military commander Khalifa Hifter continues to hold sway.
Libya has remained divided since the 2011 NATO-backed uprising that toppled and killed longtime dictator Muammar Gaddafi.