Libya signs off $18.5bn USD budget for eastern govt
As Libya’s western government advocates for the rights of Hannibal Gadhafi, Libya’s eastern government approved their $18.5 billion budget for the year, according to Reuters.
The budget for the Benghazi-based and Osama Hamad-led government excludes an item for development projects, three MPs disclosed to Reuters on 30th April.
Libya’s eastern government came to power in 2023 through a military coup and has been allied with commander Khalifa Haftar, controller of the east and large sections of Libya’s southern region. Whereas the western Tripoli-based government, represented by Prime Minister Abdulhamid al-Dbeibah, was installed through a UN-backed initiative in 2021.
READ: Libya: US backs “united” military
Russia continues its move into North Africa as vessels have been unloading thousands of tons of military equipment in the eastern Libyan port of Tobruk after Russia’s deputy defense minister Yunus-Bek Yevkurov participated in numerous visits to General Haftar, Defense News reported.
House of Representatives member, Abdulmenam Alorafi stated “we accepted and approved the budget with taking into account some notes.”
However, it remains unclear as to whether the governor of the Central Bank of Libya – who is based in Tripoli – will give Hamad’s government the budgeted allowance.
In February, CBL governor Sadiq Kabir called for a unified Libyan government and national budget in an urge to end parallel spending “from unknown sources,” after facing challenges with former ally PM Dbeibah.
Dbeibah is no longer recognised by the House of Representatives but has vowed not to take power within a new government without national elections.
Libya’s former UN special envoy, Abdullah Bathily urged Libyan authorities “to promptly agree on a national budget and decisively address significant deficiencies.”
Bathily stressed that the “economic situation in Libya is becoming severely strained, admits warnings from the Central Bank of Libya of an impending liquidity crisis.”
The ex-envoy suddenly resigned as he revealed that his numerous attempts to resolve the conflict between the divided governments “were met with stubborn resistance, unreasonable expectations and indifference to the interests of the Libyan people.”
Libya has suffered over a decade of violence and political instability and has recently seen controversial closures of the country’s highly profitable oilfields and armed conflict along the Tunisian border.
Reuters/Defence News
