The HoR also deemed Osama Hamad's Government of National Stability (GNS) as the legitimate government until a unified administration is selected.

The HoR also appointed the House speaker as the Supreme Commander of the Libyan Army per the constitutional declaration and relevant House of Representatives resolutions, Abdullah Belhaq, the parliament spokesperson, said.

The decisions come amid rising tensions in the country.

Forces affiliated with the Libyan National Army (LNA) have moved towards southwest Libya, an area controlled by the GNU, further raising tensions in the divided country. 

Libya al-Ahrar, a privately-owned channel, reported Wednesday that forces loyal to Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar were "heading towards southwest Libya."

The units, under the "direct supervision" of Saddam Haftar, the youngest son of Khalifa Haftar, are heading "towards the towns and areas of southwest Libya," the channel added.

The Libyan Supreme Council of State, allied with Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh’s GNU, called Thursday for a heightened state of alert to face any danger resulting from military movement in the southwestern regions of the country. 

The council said “We have followed with great concern the recent military movements in the southwestern region by Haftar's forces during the past two days, in a blatant and clear attempt to increase influence and control over important strategic areas."

Libya has been divided since a ceasefire signed in Geneve in 2020, to end a war between the former Government of National Accord (GNA) and the LNA, which was supposed to lead to elections in December 2021.

However, these elections have been postponed indefinitely.

The GNU, the successor to the GNA, is stationed in Tripoli and was formed to unify the GNA, formed under the UN-led Libyan political agreement, and the Tobruk Government, which received its original mandate from the HoR before being deemed unconstitutional by the Libyan Supreme Court in 2014. 

The LNA and its GNS are stationed in Benghazi and are supported by the HoR, which was elected in 2014 in the throes of the Libyan civil war.

The HoR is the only elected body still functioning in Libya. 

Securing the border

Forces led by Haftar’s youngest son, General Saddam Haftar, on Tuesday said they were deploying "patrols ... to monitor the border strip with neighbouring countries" to enhance "national security and stability in these strategic areas.”

Libya has become a key departure point for migrants heading to Europe from Sub-Saharan Africa, with Smugglers and human traffickers taking advantage of the instability in the region, especially in the south. 

Both the GNA and the GNU are based in the north, while the south – which borders Chad and Niger – has been constantly complaining of being disregarded in the calculations of both governments.

With mounting support from the European Union, migration from the country is now largely controlled.

However, migrants continue to cross the neglected southern border. 

Libya has intensified its policing of migrants.

Just last month, 369 irregular migrants were repatriated to their home countries of Nigeria and Mali.

Unstable GNU

The GNU does not enjoy the support of the LNA and has therefore had to rely on a network of militias as armed forces. 

In a recent surge of violence in Libya's capital, clashes between two heavily armed militia groups, both allied with the GNU, have left approximately a dozen people dead and many more injured, according to officials. 

The skirmishes, which lasted for several hours, occurred on Friday in Tripoli's eastern neighbourhood of Tajoura.

Recent movements of military units have further escalated tensions in the region.

On 30 July, the 17th Border Guard Battalion, under Muhammed Abdul Nabi's command and linked to Zintani commander Osama Juwaili, shifted troops towards al-Qaryah to impede any advancements by the 444 Brigade. 

This manoeuvre was prompted by alleged attempts by the Russian Africa Corps to seize control of a border crossing.

As of 5 August, Osama Juwaili has reinforced Ghadames with additional troops from the Western Mountain Military Region, indicating a volatile and escalating situation in the area.

These tensions within the GNU militias show its fragility as an actor and the lack of cohesiveness between its organs, unable to maintain security in Libya’s capital. 

Political Change

In the direct aftermath of the troop movement, the President of the Libyan Presidential Council Mohammed Al-Menfi – which is allied with the GNU – issued a proclamation on Sunday to establish a commission for referendums and national inquiries of opinion under the council’s auspices.

The proclamation draws on conclusions from the Libyan national political dialogue held in 2020, in the aftermath of the ceasefire which ended the war between the GNA and the LNA. 

The GNU and its allies have been under pressure to conduct nationwide elections, however, a deal has not been reached by the GNS. 

In response, the HoR issued a statement on Monday rejecting the proclamation. It considered the proclamation to be beyond the scope of the Presidential Council’s mandate under the Geneve agreement. 

The statement also confirmed that the Libyan High National Elections Commission is the only technical body with the mandate to oversee referendums, national inquiries of opinion, and elections. 

Political change has been lagging in the oil-rich country, and many parties have called for elections to be held.