Libya Political Risk Report (Sep 5)

Big Picture Outlook

Tripoli continued to see a rise in tensions, as Dabaiba brought more soldiers into the city. The High National Elections Commission finished the second round of municipal elections. The Libyan National Army solidified its succession, and saw increased diplomacy with Turkey and Egypt.

Key Highlights

• Saddam Haftar was promoted to the position of “Deputy Commander-and-Chief of the Libyan National Army” while Khalid Haftar was promoted to the position of “Chief of Staff of General Command”.
• The High National Election Commission completed the second round of municipal elections, finishing up elections in the last suspended western municipalities of Zawiya, Sabratha, Surman, and Bir al-Ghanam.
• The Central Bank of Libya announced it was publicly launching the “Your Salary Instantly” system for public employees, which will begin directly sending monthly salaries to their private bank accounts. This comes after weeks of testing the system. 
• Egyptian Chief of General Intelligence, Hassan Rashad, met with LNA Commander Khalifa Haftar and LNA Deputy Commander Saddam Haftar in Benghazi, where they reportedly discussed increasing coordination on issues of “mutual interest.”
• Turkish Chief of Intelligence, Ibrahim Kalın, met with Khalifa and Saddam Haftar in Benghazi, and discussed “increasing cooperation” between the two countries.
• Government of National Unity Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dabaiba reiterated his demands for the Special Deterrence Forces, aka Rada, to hand over Mitiga Airport, stoking tensions in the capital Tripoli.

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