Libya Prime Minister Reshuffles Cabinet to Improve Services

Libya’s Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah has announced a major reshuffle of his UN-backed government, saying the changes are aimed at improving performance and speeding up the delivery of services to citizens.

The reshuffle, made public on Thursday, affected about 10 of the 27 ministerial positions. Despite the changes, Dbeibah will continue to hold the powerful defence and foreign affairs portfolios himself.

Libya has struggled to regain stability since the fall of Moamer Kadhafi in 2011. The country remains politically divided, with two rival administrations: Dbeibah’s UN-recognised government based in Tripoli, and a parallel authority in Benghazi led by military strongman Khalifa Haftar.

Relations between Dbeibah and key officials had become strained in recent months. Mohamed el-Menfi, who represents Libya’s three regions, and Mohamed Takala, head of the High State Council, disagreed with him over how government posts should be shared among the western, southern, and eastern regions. However, both officials attended the first cabinet meeting of the year after the reshuffle, signalling some willingness to cooperate.

According to the government’s Hakomitna website, the reshuffle is intended to improve “state performance.” In a social media post, Dbeibah explained, “The goal is not change for its own sake, but to accelerate the delivery of services to citizens.”

The new cabinet includes only one woman, Randa Ghareb, who has been appointed to lead the women’s ministry.

Observers say the reshuffle reflects Dbeibah’s attempt to strengthen governance and overcome regional divisions while maintaining control of key ministries. By keeping defence and foreign affairs under his direct supervision, he is expected to retain influence over security and international relations, while the new ministers focus on improving services and rebuilding trust in government institutions.

The changes highlight the prime minister’s effort to balance political pressures with the urgent need to deliver basic services. Libya’s citizens continue to face challenges such as unreliable infrastructure, economic hardship, and insecurity. Whether the reshuffle will bring lasting stability remains uncertain, but the move signals Dbeibah’s determination to keep his government functioning despite ongoing divisions.

More than a decade after Kadhafi’s fall, Libya is still searching for unity and effective governance. The reshuffle is seen as one step toward that goal, though analysts caution that deeper reforms and cooperation between rival factions will be needed to achieve lasting peace and progress.