Former Libyan Prime Minister Ali Zeidan has made a surprise return to his country, along with his former deputy, Sadiq Abdulkarim, who had been hiding in Malta under heavy protection for the past months.
Mr Abdulkarim left the island on Tuesday just as Mr Zeidan settled in the eastern city of Beida, where he yesterday gave a television interview in an attempt to reclaim his premiership.
Both men had left the country as Congress and powerful militias grew increasingly hostile towards them earlier this year.
Mr Zeidan was sacked by Congress in March and banned from travelling. However, he fled to Germany stopping in Malta briefly on the way there.
Mr Abdulkarim preceded him after a failed attempt on his life in January. He secretly sought refuge in Malta and was given protection by the Security Service until his cover was blown earlier this month when he was mistaken for Mr Zeidan.
The Maltese government flatly denied that Mr Zeidan was in Malta, insisting that the last time he was here was for the brief refuelling stop over in March. However, it did not deny that Mr Abdulkarim was in Malta.
The duo’s return comes in the wake of a landmark judgment by Libya’s Supreme Court, which ruled last month that the decision by Congress to appoint Ahmed Maetig – a politician from Misurata enjoying the confidence of the Muslim Brotherhood – as prime minister, following Mr Zeidan’s departure, was illegal.
He wanted the courts to rule that the decision by Congress to fire him was illegal
The ruling was respected by all sides and Abdullah al-Thinni, who served as minister of defence in Mr Zeidan’s government, was confirmed as the legitimate, serving prime minister.
In his interview yesterday, Mr Zeidan said he wanted the courts to rule that the decision by Congress to fire him was illegal, insisting he had complete trust in the Libyan justice system.
He made no comment on the premiership of Mr al-Thinni.
Their return comes at a delicate juncture. Tensions subsided somewhat in Tripoli following the court ruling, particularly since the Muslim Brotherhood chose to respect the verdict.
However, the country is still gripped by widespread clashes between a minority of well armed Islamists and a majority who are weary of seeing the country controlled by religious extremists.
In the east particularly, and especially the city of Benghazi, the conflict has escalated into a fully-blown violent showdown between armed men associated with retired General Khalifa Haftar and those linked to Ansar al-Sharia, an Islamist group linked to al-Qaeda.
Only last Friday 43 people were killed in clashes between groups loyal to the two sides. The country’s authorities called the military offensive a “coup” and closed Benghazi’s airport.
Gen. Haftar has the added advantage of firepower, having aircraft, helicopters and the country’s elite military force under his command. However, sources on the ground say much of the struggle is taking place on the streets of Benghazi through abductions and arbitrary executions by both sides.
mmicallef@timesofmalta.com