Rival armed groups mobilized in Tripoli early on Tuesday, closing roads in the south of the capital, with schools phoning parents to pick up their children. The interim government and the election process were created last year under a U.N.-backed roadmap to end the turmoil that followed the NATO-backed uprising that ousted Muammar Gaddafi. His opponents say he should not run in the election because he has been able to use state spending to attract votes. DisputesSecurity tensions in Tripoli, where armed groups have surrounded major state buildings since last week, show the risks of the political crisis aggravating existing disputes among rival military forces. While the rows are primarily local at present, major groups with footholds in various cities of western Libya are taking sides in the crisis, meaning any clashes could rapidly spread.

Source: Libya Today December 21, 2021 19:50 UTC