One-week deadline to end the stalling of Jabal projects
LIBYA – Representatives of the people of the Jabal municipalities, including mayors, notables and community groups, have given the Dbeibah government one week to meet their demands on spending authorisations for the financial allocations of development projects, expressing their rejection of what they described as a lack of fairness and marginalisation compared with the rest of Libya’s municipalities.
That came in the final statement of an emergency meeting they held in Yefren Municipality on Tuesday, 10 November 2026, which they addressed to the head of the Government of National Unity, over the continued stalling of the disbursement of allocations set aside for development projects in their areas.
Government and Ministry of Local Government held responsible
The participants declared their strong rejection of, and deep dissatisfaction at, what they regarded as the continued absence of justice in the allocation of spending authorisations, and at the denial to the Jabal municipalities of their due rights compared with other municipalities, holding the government responsible for what they described as an injustice.
The statement specifically held the Ministry of Local Government responsible, as the body that represents the municipalities and safeguards their rights, calling on it to defend the rights of the Jabal municipalities and not to accept their marginalisation or the bypassing of their entitlements.
Projects stalled for more than two or three years
Those at the meeting criticised the continued halt to development projects whose implementation was contracted more than two or three years ago and approved by the government and its executive bodies, but which have either not entered the implementation stage or have stopped because spending authorisations for the financial allocations that would allow the implementing parties to complete the work have not been issued.
They said this halt had harmed the public interest and prolonged residents’ hardship, particularly in the roads, water and health sectors — projects they said affect citizens’ lives directly.
Rejection of spending authorisations for recent Council of Ministers decisions
Representatives of the Jabal municipalities declared their outright rejection of the spending authorisations allocated to decisions issued by the Council of Ministers in recent days, calling for them to be reviewed and corrected so as to meet the municipalities’ demands and ensure they receive the allocations they consider their due.
A one-week deadline and a warning against continued neglect
Those at the meeting said they were tired of meetings, gatherings and promises that had not been fulfilled, considering that continued procrastination, neglect and marginalisation were no longer acceptable, and stressing that the rights of the Jabal municipalities were not open to concession or bargaining.
They stressed that their legitimate options would remain open, warning that continued disregard for the demands would not, in their assessment, have positive effects on the stability of the government or on the stability the country is seeking.
The statement made clear that this position was “not a threat”, but an explicit expression that a point had been reached at which silence was no longer acceptable and the demand for rights was no longer a matter for hesitation, again giving the Government of National Unity one week to implement the demands of the Jabal municipalities.
The representatives of the residents concluded by stressing that their rights were “not a favour from anyone”, and that they would not accept them continuing to be held hostage to promises, procrastination and delay. The statement was issued in the city of Yefren on 10 November 2026, in the name of the representatives of the people of the Jabal municipalities.
