Libya rivals announce unity government as part of UN-backed plan

Representatives of Libya’s rival factions have formed a unity government aimed at stemming the chaos that has engulfed the country.

The Unity Presidential Council, which has been negotiating through a UN-brokered process, agreed on a 32-member cabinet made up of representatives from across the country. Whether that government will be able to govern the country remains to be seen. Libya slid into chaos in 2011 when Muammar Gaddafi was toppled and killed. Its divisions have increased since 2014 when the country split into two governments and parliaments – the internationally recognised one in the east, and an Islamist-backed one in the capital, Tripoli.

Each side is backed by an array of militias. Amid the chaos, a Libyan Islamic Stateaffiliate has prospered, claiming responsibility for a series of deadly attacks as it tries to expand its territory and take control of oilfields and terminals, the sole source of Libya’s wealth.

In December, representatives from the rival parliaments signed a UN-brokered deal to form the unity government and established the Unity Presidential Council. The Tunisia-based council includes some members from the rival parliaments and governments, as well as delegates from other factions. But other members of the two main factions have rejected the UN plan.

According to the deal, the new government should be based in Tripoli but it is not clear if the current Tripoli-based authorities opposing the deal would allow it to operate in peace. Recently, a Tripoli-based premier threatened the use of force against a security committee seeking to secure a venue for the new government.

The head of the council – Fayez Sarraj, who is also supposed to be the prime minister – has struggled to form the unity government, which has 10 days to win the internationally recognised parliament’s endorsement.