MIRED in war, threatened by jihadists and short of cash—it is a wonder that anyone wants to rule Libya. Yet until recently the country had four competing governments. Rival administrations based in Tripoli, the capital in the west, and Beida, in the east, have spent the past two years fighting over a disputed election, among other things. That has allowed Islamic State (IS), the third contender, to grab roughly 180 miles (290km) of coastline around Sirte, in between them.
The jihadists’ advance hastened the creation last year of a fourth outfit, the Government of National Accord (GNA). It is the result of a UN-sponsored deal signed in Skhirat, Morocco, on December 17th by politicians from both sides of the country. But they did not have the backing of the warring parties. So despite Western support, when leaders of the new body left Tunisia for Tripoli on March 30th, they travelled by boat—for fear of being shot down.
The surprisingly smooth arrival of the prime minister, Fayez al-Serraj (pictured), and six others from the GNA’s nine-member presidency council has provided Libya with a glimmer of hope. Mr Serraj, a businessman with...Continue reading
Source: Middle East and Africa http://ift.tt/1RRIK8q
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