Political
The Libyan daily Al Manara wrote on 27 November that the Integrity Committee tasked with reviewing Prime Minister Ali Zidan’s cabinet has approved the remaining 24 ministers. Zidan still needs to appoint a minister to lead the Ministry for Martyrs and Missing Persons after his nominee stepped down before review by the integrity committee. Separately, former Undersecretary of Health Adel Abu Shufa won his second appeal against an Integrity Commission ruling that suspended from office in April. Although he will not resume his previous post, he is eligible to work in government in the future.
Seven new ambassadors to Libya presented their credentials on 29 November to Mohammed Magarief, the speaker of the National Assembly. The new ambassadors are Andy Detaille from Belgium, Alfonso Alfredo Sequiera from Brazil, Michael Grant from Canada, Alex Geiger Soffia from Chile, Archil Dzuliashvili from Georgia, Kyriakos Amiridis from Greece, and Erwin Hofer from Switzerland.
Prime Minister Ali Zeidan flew to Tobruk on 3 December to begin a visit to eastern Libya. He was accompanied by the Deputy Prime Minister Awad Al-Barasi and other senior officials. The purpose of the trip is part of a broader strategy of high-level re-engagement with eastern Libya. According to the Libya Herald, Zeidan will be discussing issues relating to politics, security and the economy over the course of his stay, including issues relating to federalism and decentralisation, as well as the need for greater economic investment in the east of the country. The visit comes in the context of growing discontent in eastern Libya over perceived neglect by Tripoli, which in turn is feeding support for federalist and Islamist politics (see Gulf of Sidra, Cyrenaica and Benghazi).
