Libya’s House of Representatives has accused Abdul Hamid Dbeibah, prime minister of the Tripoli-based Government of National Unity, of blocking flight permits for members travelling to a planned Zintan session and to the coastal town of Zuwara.
The accusation, made in a statement reported on Saturday, lands a day after a senior US envoy warned of measures against anyone obstructing an agreed plan to unify Libya’s rival institutions. A parliamentary sitting in the west of the country, where Dbeibah’s government holds sway, would be a test of that plan.
What does parliament say happened before the Zintan session?
In its statement number 7 of 2026, the House said Dbeibah had issued instructions that the permits needed to fly a number of members to Zintan and Zuwara should not be granted, Alwasat reported in Arabic.
The chamber called this interference in the work of the authority that issues flight permits, intended to obstruct parliament and stop members carrying out their duties. It said the move infringed the independence of the legislature under the constitutional declaration and hampered efforts to strengthen national unity.
The House demanded that Dbeibah withdraw the instructions at once and state their legal basis. It asked the competent authority to complete the permits under the usual rules, and said it reserved the right to hold to account anyone shown to have obstructed its members. Alwasat said the Zintan session was planned for Monday.
No response from Dbeibah or his government had been reported by the Libyan outlets consulted on Saturday, including Alwasat and Ean Libya. The claim is parliament’s account and has not been independently confirmed.
Why does the Zintan session matter?
Libya has been split for years between Dbeibah’s internationally recognised government in Tripoli and a rival administration in the east, which is backed by the House of Representatives and the forces of Khalifa Haftar. The House of Representatives normally sits in the east.
Zintan lies in the mountains south-west of Tripoli and Zuwara on the coast near the Tunisian border. Both are in the west. Holding the Zintan session there would let members meet constituents outside the chamber’s usual base, which the statement described as part of its representative duty towards all Libyan cities.
It would also require co-operation from authorities in Tripoli over airspace and airports, which is where the dispute has arisen.
What has the United States said?
Massad Boulos, the US president’s senior adviser for Arab and African affairs, said on Friday that it was time to implement a comprehensive agreement to unify Libyan institutions and that there was no room for more delay, excuses or obstruction, according to Libyan media.
He said Washington and its allies were ready to take all appropriate measures against those seeking to undermine the process, citing UN Security Council resolutions, Al Jazeera reported in Arabic. Boulos spoke of notable progress on military, electoral and judicial unification. He did not name those he considered to be obstructing it.
The steps cover military, financial, electoral and judicial bodies and are meant to complement the work of the UN Support Mission in Libya, according to the same reports.
How does this fit with regional diplomacy?
Libya featured in talks between Cairo and Washington this week. DNE Africa reported on Friday that Egypt and the US discussed Libya, Sudan and the Horn of Africa, and that Saddam Haftar held talks in Cairo.
Unifying the institutions is presented by its sponsors as a step towards national elections, which have not been held since a vote planned for December 2021 was postponed.
What happens next?
The first signal will be whether members reach Zintan and the sitting goes ahead. If the Zintan session is held, attention will turn to its agenda and to whether Tripoli recognises its decisions.
If it is not, parliament has said it will pursue those responsible, and Washington’s warning about obstruction will be tested within days of being issued.
FAQ
What is the Zintan session?
A sitting of Libya’s House of Representatives planned in the western town of Zintan. Alwasat reported that it was due on Monday.
What is Dbeibah accused of?
Parliament says he ordered that flight permits be withheld from members travelling to Zintan and Zuwara. His government had not publicly responded by Saturday, according to the outlets consulted.
Who is Massad Boulos?
He is the US president’s senior adviser for Arab and African affairs, and has led recent US contacts with Libya’s rival authorities.
Why would a Zintan session be unusual?
The House of Representatives is based in eastern Libya, while Zintan is in the west, where the Tripoli government is the dominant authority.
