Libya’s eastern Premier asks international community to recognize Interim Government as legitimate

The head of Libya’s rival government in the east called Sunday on the international community to recognise his administration which he says controls most of the country.

The Government of National Unity, based in the capital Tripoli, is backed by the United Nations.

However, in a telephone interview with AFP on Sunday, Abdullah al-Thinni said the provisional government based in the east “draws its legitimacy… from the ballot box”.

Al-Thinni used to be Libya’s internationally recognised prime minister until the formation of the GNA led by Fayez al-Sarraj, following an inter-Libyan political agreement signed in 2015 under the aegis of the UN.

“Our (provisional) government represents the three Libyan provinces — Tripoli, Cyrenaica and Fezzan — as well as all cities and regions… in total agreement,” He said on Sunday.

“With our valiant army, we control more than 90 percent of the country,” Al-Thinni told AFP, referring to forces in the east dubbed the Libyan National Army and headed by strongman Khalifa Haftar.

The international community must “respect the will of the people and support the provisional government”, He indicated.