By Saber Ayyub.
Tripoli, 22 April 2016:
Abdulrahman Sewehli, the president of the State Council, has taken control control of Rixos Hotel complex . . .[restrict]including its the conference hall used by the General National Congress (GNC) and the buildings across the road that were used as accommodation and offices by GNC president Nuri Abu Sahmain and his remaining supporters.
The takeover, from the militia previously loyal to Abu Sahmain, was peaceful and the road between to the two places, hitherto closed, has now been reopened.
It is not known where Abu Sahmain is now, although he is believed to still be in Tripoli.
In a statement, however, in which he condemned the takeover, he said that a militia loyal to Sewehli, had arrived early on Friday morning and seized the complex. Those defending it had allowed this to happen, he claimed, because they wanted to avoid bloodshed.
The same version of events was said by the head of security at the Rixos facilities, Omar Al-Ramli. [/restrict]
