Libya deputy PM quits, saying he has ‘failed’

Libyans from Sirte who returned home after National Accord (GNA) forces drove Daesh out from the city. A deputy leader of the GNA resigned saying he had failed. (AFP)

TRIPOLI: One of three deputy premiers in Libya’s UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) resigned on Monday, saying he had failed in his mission.
Moussa Al-Kouni told a press conference in the capital of the chaos-ridden North African country that he could no longer stay in the post.
“I’m resigning because I have failed,” said a visibly moved Al-Kouni, who is originally from southern Libya and represents the Tuareg minority in the GNA.
“We (in the GNA) are responsible because we accepted this mission.
“We take responsibility for everything that has happened in the past year: Dramas, violence, murder, rape, invasion, the squandering of public funds... Regardless of the extent of the crimes, we are responsible,” he said.
Libya has been mired in chaos since the 2011 downfall of longtime dictator Muammar Qaddafi.
In March last year, the internationally backed GNA was formed, intended to replace two rival administrations, one in Tripoli and one in the country’s far east.
It is also the centerpiece of Western hopes to stem an upsurge of radicalism in Libya and halt people trafficking across the Mediterranean that has led to thousands of drownings.