Summary:

On 25 July 2026, protests started in Tripoli over prolonged electricity cuts amid a severe heatwave, with temperatures reaching around 50°C and outages lasting up to 14 hours in some areas.  

Demonstrators blocked roads, shut down state institutions and called for the removal of Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah’s Government of National Unity (GNU), expanding their demands beyond electricity shortages to broader criticism of Libya’s political leadership. 

The unrest spread across several districts of the capital and other western cities, including Zawiya and Misrata, where security deployments and armed movements raised concerns over possible escalation. Authorities increased security readiness in Tripoli, while no major clashes were reported. 

Outlook: 

The protests risk becoming a new pressure point against the GNU as public frustration over service failures increasingly merges with wider dissatisfaction toward Libya’s political class.  

The fact that demonstrators targeted state institutions and questioned authorities’ management of public resources indicates that the electricity crisis is being interpreted as a symptom of broader governance failures rather than a temporary disruption. 

While no major escalation has been reported, the involvement of armed groups and security formations remains a key concern, particularly as rival factions could seek to use popular discontent to strengthen their political positions. The unrest may also complicate ongoing efforts to advance a political settlement by further weakening trust in existing institutions across both western and eastern Libya. 

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