Telecommunications are partially restored to the city of Benghazi after days of no internet connection following the clashes of Friday night.
The city of Benghazi experienced a complete cut-off in communications from Friday to Tuesday due to armed clashes in the Salmani area, where former GNA Defense Minister Mehdi Barghathi’s family resides. The head of the Libyan Government of National Unity (GNU), Abdul Hamid Dbeibah, called on the Attorney General to investigate the events and urged the security authorities in Benghazi to do their duty in protecting the people of Benghazi.
Dbeibah added that such incidents not only threaten the lives and safety of citizens but also affect the unity and social fabric of this country. The United Nations mission expressed its concern about the armed clashes in Benghazi and the cut-off of communications in the city.
In a statement, the UN mission called on the authorities in eastern Libya to urgently restore all communications in Benghazi after they were cut off last Friday. The UN mission also continued to investigate reports of civilian casualties and reminded all parties involved in the clashes to respect their obligations to protect civilians.
Meanwhile, Faraj Guaim, Deputy Minister of Interior for the House of Representatives (HoR) designated government, threatened activists and bloggers in Benghazi of being faced with an iron fist, describing fighters loyal to Mehdi Barghathi as terrorist cells. Guaim warned members of tribes against communicating with Barghathi ’s fighters, accusing them of cutting telecommunication cables in Benghazi.
