News / North Africa

UN: GNA only official government of Libya

Wednesday, 06 July 2016 4:30 PM [ Last Update: Wednesday, 06 July 2016 4:30 PM ]

Martin Kobler, the Special Representative and Head of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) (AFP)

The UN says the government based in eastern Libya is no longer internationally recognized and that the UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) is the only official cabinet.

Martin Kobler, who serves as the Special Representative and Head of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), said in an email to the Associated Press on Wednesday that the prime minister of the eastern government, Abdullah al-Thinni, "is not the recognized prime minister of Libya."

The UN official's comments came in response to remarks by Thinni where he described the formation of the GNA as an attempt by the UN to impose an unworkable solution on Libya.

Libya has been scene of increasing violence since 2011, when military intervention by NATO followed the uprising that led to the toppling and killing of longtime dictator, Muammar Gaddafi.

The oil-rich state has had two rival administrations since mid-2014, when militants overran the capital, Tripoli, and forced the parliament to flee to the country’s remote east.

The two governments achieved a consensus on forming the Government of National Accord last December, after months of UN-brokered talks to restore order to the country.

However, the GNA has not won formal approval from the internationally-recognized parliament in the east. The parliament views Thinni’s government as the only legitimate cabinet.

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