Libyan Prime Minister Fathi Bashagha, who was appointed to the post by the east-based parliament in February, on Wednesday said he will base his government in Sirte from Wednesday, reported Aljazeera.
The statement comes after Bashagha’s attempt to seat his government in Tripoli on Tuesday triggered fierce clashes between fighters on both sides, forcing him to leave the city.
Bashagha and his ministers withdrew hours later as fighting rocked the capital “to preserve the security and safety of citizens”, his office said.
Fighting was reported in the al-Mansoura and Souq al-Thulatha areas of central Tripoli.
The UN’s top in-country official, Stephanie Williams, also called for calm and stressed the necessity of “refraining from provocative actions including inflammatory rhetoric, participation in clashes and the mobilisation of forces.
He said conflict cannot be solved with violence but with dialogue and mediation.
Libya has had two governments since March. The country for years been split between rival administrations in the east and west, each supported by different militias and foreign governments.
Prime Minister Abdel Hamid Dbeibeh’s UN recognised administration, which is based in Tripoli, has refused to cede power to Bashagha, accusing that his appointment was illegitimate.
Dbeibah was appointed as the interim Libyan prime minister last year but he was supposed only to remain in power until the elections. He has said repeatedly that he will only cede power to an elected government.
The fighting raised fears of a return to the political chaos that has reigned since a NATO-backed popular revolt in 2011 toppled Muammar Gaddafi.
There has been stalemate in Libya with rival groups claiming to run the country. Parliamentary and presidential elections planned for last December had to be cancelled as the eligibility of various candidates was disputed, and there was no consensus that the result would be honored.
