Calm returned to the Libyan capital, Tripoli, after clashes erupted when the Prime Minister-designate from the House of Representatives, Fathi Bashagha, entered the city, leaving one dead and a number of wounded, according to Al-Jazeera correspondent.
The clashes took place between armed groups supporting the national unity government headed by Abdel Hamid Dabaiba, and others supporting the Prime Minister-designate from the House of Representatives, Fathi Bashagha, hours after Bashagha arrived in the city to start his government’s work late on Monday evening.
Bashagha's office announced that he had to leave the city after the clashes provoked by his attempt to enter the capital, when the headquarters of the Al-Nawasi Brigade, which received him, was attacked by an armed attack.
Bashagha said he was surprised by what he called the dangerous military escalation carried out by armed groups affiliated with what he described as the outgoing government.
Bashagha stressed that his government came with peace and wisdom and the national interest was given priority and preferred to "defusing sedition and dissatisfaction with outlaws and endangering civilians," and said that the national unity government does not have any credibility to hold fair and transparent elections.
The clashes stopped after forces belonging to the General Staff of the Libyan Army, affiliated with the Government of National Unity, intervened and provided Bashagha with a safe passage out of Tripoli.
Banning the movement of military convoys
The Presidency of the General Staff said that it orders all military units to comply with the notification of the Supreme Commander regarding the prevention of the movement of military convoys.
The Chief of Staff expressed its rejection of what it called "attempts to spread chaos" in the capital, stressing its commitment to "the civil state and the peaceful transfer of power through fair elections."
For his part, the head of the unity government, Abdel Hamid Dabaiba, ordered the Attorney General and the Military Prosecutor to open an investigation into the events in Tripoli.
Forces affiliated with the Government of National Unity deployed in the streets of Tripoli (Anatolia)
Dabaiba also toured the capital after the confrontations ended.
A statement from the Prime Minister's Office stated that Dabaiba ordered the formation of a committee to determine the damages resulting from the clashes to start procedures for compensating those affected.
And earlier, the Libyan Ministry of Defense announced that it had confronted what it said was an outlaw armed group that tried to infiltrate the capital to cause chaos by using weapons to serve a "partisan agenda".
The ministry added that the measures taken by its military and security forces forced the armed group to flee the capital, and confirmed that it would hunt down all those involved in what it described as a cowardly act, regardless of their characteristics.
Calls for calm
In response to these events, the US Embassy called on armed groups to refrain from using violence and warned politicians that seizing or maintaining power by force would increase the suffering of Libyans.
The UK Ambassador to Libya, Caroline Horndel, also urged the Libyan parties to calm down and engage in dialogue to establish stability and organize successful elections.
German Ambassador to Libya Michael Unmacht called for restraint, stressing that a political solution is the only solution to the Libyan crisis.
For its part, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry stressed the need to preserve the lives, property and capabilities of the Libyan people.