The Deputy Head of the Presidential Council, Mossa Al-Koni, said during his participation in the annual conference of the National Council on US-Libya Relations in Washington, “Libya is effectively an occupied state, in light of the presence of foreign forces on its territory — Turkish and Russian forces.”
Al-Koni pointed out that “the head of the Libyan state cannot fly over Brak Airbase due to Russian forces’ control of it,” adding that he personally was unable to fly over the base upon his return from Rwanda.
Al-Koni accused local parties of having an undeclared agreement to obstruct the holding of elections, explaining that influential figures such as Aqila Saleh, Khalifa Haftar, and Abdul Hamid Dbeibah are all seeking the position of head of state, which makes them unserious about moving toward an electoral process.
He proposed adopting a joint presidential formula that includes three representatives from the historical regions (Tripolitania, Cyrenaica, and Fezzan) as a solution to the current crisis. He presented what he described as the historical injustice suffered by Fezzan, which has not received political representation or a fair share of the state’s resources and lives on what resembles charity.
Al-Koni said that the current parliament and the two governments represent Cyrenaica and Tripolitania, questioning the absence of Fezzan from this political and administrative division. He simultaneously called for granting the region a legislative council and a government to represent it.
He also warned of “war drums” starting to be heard on the horizon, calling for “the reunification of Libya before the country slides into a total explosion,” and said, “Libya today is effectively divided into two states, with two parliaments, two governments, and two chiefs of staff.”
