Libyans Protest Power Cuts and Rival Governments

Power outages across western Libya have triggered days of protests that have disrupted Tripoli and surrounding areas, with demonstrators demanding better electricity services and the removal of the country’s rival governments in the east and west.

Protests spread across Tripoli on Sunday and Monday, with demonstrators blocking roads and forcing the closure of government institutions, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the headquarters of the state telecommunications holding company.

The unrest began over the ongoing electricity crisis in oil-rich Libya, where daily blackouts have stretched to 14 hours. Summer temperatures have reached up to 122 degrees Fahrenheit, prompting electricity demand to skyrocket beyond the capacity of a grid plagued by underinvestment, corruption and disputed management of the country’s oil revenues.

Protesters have calle…