Head of Libya’s Presidency Council visits Tripoli

TRIPOLI

The head of Libya’s Presidency Council arrived Tuesday in the capital Tripoli for his first visit following his election on Feb. 5.

Mohammad Menfi was received at the airport by new Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh and deputy chairman of the Presidency Council Abdullah Hussein Al-Lafi along with other prominent figures.

On Sunday, the head of the Presidential Council of Libya, Fayez Al-Sarraj, flew overseas and left his first deputy Ahmed Maiteeq in charge of affairs.

Details about where Al-Sarraj headed and his date of return have not been disclosed.

There was no statement by Menfi on the details of his visit to Tripoli. However, the newly elected leader has visited four cities in the eastern region since his election -- Benghazi, Tobruk, Al-Bayda and Al-Quba.

During his visit to Benghazi, Menfi promised that his tenure would mark the beginning of “the journey of work for the sake of the nation, its unity and its territorial integrity and the reunification of our people throughout Libya.”

He also met with warlord Khalifa Haftar, whose forces control Benghazi.

Upon his arrival Friday in Tobruk, Menfi pledged to advance national reconciliation and unify the country's military establishment.

In Al-Bayda, he met with a number of parliamentarians representing the city as well as other local officials.

Menfi also met with the Speaker of the Tobruk-based parliament, Aguila Saleh, during his visit to Al-Quba to discuss "creating conditions for granting confidence to the government."

On Feb. 5, Libya's rival political groups, sponsored by the UN, agreed to form an interim unity government to lead the country to elections this December.

Menfi was elected president of the interim government with Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh as prime minister while Mossa Al-Koni and Abdullah Hussein Al-Lafi were also voted on the three-man presidency council.

*Ibrahim Mukhtar from Ankara contributed to this report