Power Crisis Sparks Protests and Civil Disobedience in Tripoli

SadaNews - The Libyan capital, Tripoli, witnessed protests and the closure of roads and public institutions early yesterday morning, following the announcement by the Friday Market movement of the start of civil disobedience, with other areas in the capital joining in, amidst repeated electricity cuts coinciding with a heatwave and increased electricity consumption rates.

Protesters blocked the coastal road in the Janzour area west of the capital in protest against prolonged power outages, while other areas saw the closure of some main roads with burning tires, amid demands for the government to improve electricity services.

The German news agency reported that groups, mostly consisting of young people, began implementing civil disobedience from the early hours of Monday morning, with hundreds gathering outside the headquarters of "Libyana for Communications and Technology" in the Friday Market municipality, where they closed it off, raising banners against the policies of Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah's government.

Another group also closed off the headquarters of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with a dirt barrier, in implementation of a statement issued by the Friday Market movement on Sunday evening, announcing the start of a comprehensive civil disobedience and the closure of state institutions and public companies within the area.

The organizers of the movement - who have opposed the National Unity Government since the clashes of May 2025 - stated that its goal is to "completely paralyze the government" and not disrupt citizens' lives, calling for accountability of those suspected of corruption and the termination of existing political bodies, including the government, the House of Representatives, the State Council, and the Presidential Council.

Other areas in Tripoli, including Tajoura and Janzour, announced joining the disobedience, with protesters gathering outside a station in western Tripoli to express their objection to the power outages.

There was no immediate comment from the National Unity Government, while a protective force for the Prime Minister's Office called for wisdom and urged not to be drawn into rumors or calls that it claimed aimed to incite chaos and harm public and private properties.

Outages of up to 10 Hours

The protests come amid frequent electricity outages in Tripoli and other areas, lasting up to 10 hours daily and sometimes exceeding that, coinciding with a heatwave and increased electricity consumption rates.

The General Electricity Company has returned to implementing load shedding policies, after a relative stability experienced by the electric network over the past two years, while the electricity crisis coincides with increasing protests against living conditions, rising prices, currency instability, and ongoing political division.

Uniting Libya

In a related political context, Messaad Boulos - the U.S. President's advisor on African affairs - stated that he had a fruitful call with Prime Minister Dbeibah, during which they discussed the necessary steps to advance efforts to unify Libya, including military and security cooperation between the eastern and western parts of the country.

Boulos added that the talks addressed opportunities to enhance coordination and joint work between Libyan forces and the U.S. military command in Africa, reiterating Washington's commitment to supporting the unification of Libya and achieving lasting peace, stability, and prosperity.

Source: Al Jazeera + Agencies