Libyan militia threatens parliament

A member of the Libyan army stands guard along a street following clashes in Benghazi. File picture: Esam Omran Al-Fetori

A member of the Libyan army stands guard along a street following clashes in Benghazi. File picture: Esam Omran Al-Fetori

Published Feb 18, 2014

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Tripoli - A heavily-armed militia group threatened on Tuesday to remove the transitional parliament from power, hours after issuing a deadline for the assembly to dissolve itself.

The warning from the commander of the al-Qaqa brigade added to turmoil in the OPEC producer where the government has struggled to rein in militias who helped topple Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.

“We will act soon and hand over power to the supreme court and form committees to oversee elections,” Othman Mlekta told Reuters by phone.

“We will work with the people and we're in contact with people in the south and east,” he added.

Mlekta said some of his troops had traveled in armoured cars along Tripoli's main airport road on Tuesday, confirming what a witness had told Reuters. Life in Tripoli was otherwise normal.

Reuters

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