The United States embassy compound in the Libyan capital of Tripoli has been raided by militiamen, but no Americans were present as the embassy was evacuated more than a month ago.
Videos posted on social media show fighters using the US embassy swimming pool, some of them leaping fully-clothed off a balcony into the water.
The attack on Sunday came as fighting between rival militias rages in the capital Tripoli and Benghazi, the second city in the east.
Even though the US suspended its mission in Tripoli for the second time in three years in July, the US Secretary of State John Kerry insisted that the embassy was not closed, claiming its staff have just been temporarily evacuated to neighbouring Tunisia.
The Obama administration has been particularly sensitive about security of US government employees in Libya since the September 11, 2012 attack on the US mission in Benghazi that killed ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans.
Tripoli has been embroiled for weeks in inter-militia violence that has killed and wounded dozens on all sides. Now an announcement has been made on forming the Tripoli Revolutionaries’ Shura (Consultative) Council.
The council’s media spokesman said on Sunday that the Tripoli Revolutionaries’ Consultative Council is working to form a joint force which will include the Libya Dawn forces from all Libyan cities and regions, in order to eliminate what he described as renegade brigades in the capital and its suburbs.
He said the new force will only return to its barracks and camps once it eliminates all those who are undermining security in the capital.
Qatar-based, pro-interim government Libya TV, also known as Libya al-Ahrar, at 1548gmt on Sunday 31 August carried an ‘Urgent’ screen caption which read: ‘The General National Congress (GNC) has decided to refer Libya’s envoy to the UN for investigation for not condemning the aggression against Libya.’
The GNC condemned Libya’s envoy to the UN, accusing him of ‘bias’ and not performing ‘diplomatic duties’. Libya al-Ahrar reported: ‘The General National Congress held today a closed session in the context of its efforts to restore the political process in the country and to handover powers to the elected House of Representatives in accordance with the Constitutional Declaration and the agreements reached in accordance with the proposal of the February Committee, which had been approved by the GNC.’
GNC Spokesman Umar Humaydan was interviewed over the phone on the issues discussed in the GNC closed session.
He said: ‘Prime-Minister Designate Umar al-Hasi (was expected) to furnish us with his ministerial formation, but it seems that he could not manage to complete, or to present, this formation.
‘Therefore, the congress is considering the issue of extending “the time limit”, because it “congress” had given him one week (to form the government).
‘There are those who talk about a final time limit, because the conditions at present do not allow for any further extensions. Therefore, we are in desperate need for a government.’
Humaydan went on to add that some congress members ‘had called for dismissing Libya’s envoy to the UN (Ibrahim) Dabbashi in view of his recent stances and his failure to condemn the violation to Libya’s national sovereignty’.
Meanwhile, privately-owned online news website Libya Herald reported on Saturday, 30 August: ‘Solidarity Fund Manager kidnapped.’
The manager of the Solidarity Fund office in Germa is still being held after he was seized in the southern town of Ubari last Tuesday (26 August).
The exact circumstances and motive for the kidnapping of the Jarmah resident remain unclear although his family have been in contact with him.
‘He called and said he is fine and in good health,’ a relative, who asked not do be identified, told the Libya Herald.
One Ubari resident explained that there had been no request for a ransom.
With the exception of the brief contact between the man and his family very little else is known about the abduction.
The Solidarity Fund is one of a number of state organisations that dispenses social assistance and medical funding.
Meanwhile, last Saturday Libya’s old parliament claimed that it remains the country’s ‘highest authority’.
Libya’s General National Congress (GNC) insisted it is the highest authority in the country until a transfer of power takes place in accordance with the Constitutional Declaration.
The GNC said it is awaiting the decision on the case filed with the constitutional circuit of the Supreme Court on the legitimacy of the sessions held by deputies (of the new House of Representatives) in Tobruk.
The GNC condemned decisions taken by deputies in Tobruk, describing them as ‘hasty and provocative to a broad section of the Libyan people’.
It said that whilst revolutionaries are facing up to coup attempts in Tripoli and Benghazi, members of parliament issued a decision describing rebels as terrorist groups and they even went on to call for foreign intervention, thus forfeiting national sovereignty.
In responding to the demands of people who staged demonstrations calling for the GNC to pursue its duties, the latter insisted that it shoulders the responsibility and will continue to work until it hands over the trust to those chosen by the people.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation issued a communiqué in connection with the statements of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in which he touched on the place location in which the Libyan House of Representatives” sessions were held.
The ministry said that Erdogan had said in a press interview that ‘basically, the parliament meeting in Tobruk cannot be accepted’, adding ‘we are facing an incorrect situation’.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation expressed its surprise at Ergodan’s statements and said it considered them to be flagrant interference in Libya’s internal affaires.
The ministry demanded a clarification from the Turkish government about whether this statement represented its official position or that of the personal position of the president of Turkey.
The ministry pointed out that Erdogan had phoned Libyan House of Representatives Speaker Aqilah Salih Isa on 17 August and congratulated him on the holding of the parliament sessions in Tobruk and confirmed his country’s recognition of the House of Representatives as the only legitimate authority in Libya and of his support to the house at the start of its work.
