Fugitive Egyptian terrorist Ashmawi caught in Libya

“This is the decision of the government and we work under the Ministry of Interior,” Ahmed Ben Salim, spokesman of the ultra-conservative brigade Rada, or Special Deterrence Force, told The National. “We deal with orders and are not concerned with names or personalities.

“It is important for him to be a national figure of leadership and to understand the extent of the responsibility, especially in terms of security.”

Rada operates under the Interior Minister and was a key faction in the clashes in Tripoli in August and last month.

But others were more cautious over whether the reforms could make much change.

“The problem of Libya is not about taking a government position, the problem is whether we can make any change,” said Jalel Al Wershafani, spokesman for the capital’s most powerful faction, the Tripoli’s Revolutionaries Brigade.

After the fighting the international community and government has sought to bring in measures that lessen reliance on state-sanctioned militias that grip Tripoli and are accused of corruption, extortion and brutal tactics.

Rada runs a jail that holds about 2,500 inmates including terror suspects, drug dealers, rivals and the Manchester bomber’s brother Hashem Abedi. It released about 100 detainees linked to an opposing group as a goodwill gesture.

Mr Al Serraj changing his economy and finance ministers is part of a wider drive to inject life into the economy.

Libyan analyst Mohamed Eljarh tweeted that the appointment of Ali Issawi as Minister of Economy risked jeopardising Libya’s oil output because of tribal tension.

Mr Issawi is one of the key suspects in the 2011 assassination of Gen Abdul Fatah Younis, who was the commander of Libya’s revolutionary forces.

It was reported that Gen Younis’s Obeidat tribe, whose base is in the east of Libya, would revolt against the appointment.

Last month the government introduced packages to reduce the disparity between Libya’s official exchange rate and that on the black market.

The country’s banks lack liquidity and Libyans often have to queue for days to withdraw money.