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11 Sep 2020 | 09:04 PM UTC

Libya: Protests in Benghazi continue for second day on September 11 /update 1

Service delivery and living conditions protests continue in Benghazi for second consecutive day on September 11; further unrest likely in medium term

Warning

Event

Protests over living conditions and the disruption of electricity supplies continued for a second consecutive evening in Benghazi on Friday, September 11, with demonstrators reportedly blocking several roads with burning tires. As on Thursday, the main protests occurred in the downtown Sidi Hussein area and Jamal Abdel Nasser Street, although demonstrations were also reported to have spread to Al-Kish and several other neighborhoods. Although Thursday's protests passed relatively peacefully, there have been unconfirmed reports that several protest organizers were detained by local security forces on Friday amid efforts by House of Representatives (HoR) -aligned authorities to suppress rising tensions over the issues.

Further demonstrations over service delivery issues and living conditions are likely in Benghazi and other cities across Libya in the medium term. 

Context

The recent protests in Benghazi were allegedly sparked by the diversion of fuel intended for the city's power stations by local officials, prompting claims of corruption from some activists. Fuel shortages are reported to have been a major factor behind widespread power outages which occurred with increasing frequency in the city in recent weeks, exacerbating wider problems with Benghazi's fragile infrastructure.

Similar protests have been held in multiple towns and cities across Libya, including Tripoli, since June amid service delivery failures and deteriorating living conditions in both eastern and western urban centers. Although these demonstrations have remained largely peaceful, communities have occasionally attempted to seize or disrupt electricity generation and other facilities in order to restore the supply.

Damage from years of conflict, lagging maintenance, and a lack of investment since the 2011 civil war have left Libya's electricity infrastructure in a poor state of repair. Inadequate electricity generation capacity in recent years has seen regular load-shedding outages of up to ten hours in some areas, with blackouts increasing in the summer months as high temperatures put additional strain on infrastructure. 

Advice

Those in Benghazi are advised to monitor developments, anticipate localized disruptions, and heed any directives issued by local authorities. All demonstrations and political gatherings in Libya should be avoided due to the risk of incidental violence and aggressive crowd-dispersal operations by security forces.

The security environment in Libya remains complex. Although travel is possible in some areas (with appropriate security protocols in place), other areas should be considered strictly off-limits. Professional security advice and support should be sought prior to travel.