Peace continues to elude Libya six months after Muammar Gaddafi, its former president, regarded as the obstacle to peace and stability was captured and killed

The crisis in Libya is yet to abate. More than a year after the Libyan rebellion broke out and nearly six months after the death of Muammar Gaddafi, the former Libyan leader, the country is yet to experience genuine peace. The former militia groups have not laid down their arms. The National Transitional Council, NTC, is also yet to forge a clear plan of rebuilding the country. But the more challenging is the threat of the oil-rich region in Libya to break away to form a separate country.

Civic leaders in eastern Libya, are demanding semi-autonomy for the oil-rich region.  The anouncement was made at a meeting attended by hundreds of people near the eastern city of Benghazi. Supporters of the demand said they want a separate entity as the region once known as Cyrenaica and which produces much of the country’s oil, has been neglected for decades.

But the move is causing tension within the governing NTC in Tripoli, the country’s capital. It was condemned as “dangerous” and “a blatant call for fragmentation” by Fathi Baja, head of the NTC’s political committee. “We are against divisions and against any move that hurts the unity of the Libyan people,” he said.

Although the declaration of a separate political entity has no legal force, yet, the clamour has significant popular support among people in Benghazi, Libya’s second city and headquarters of the rebels during the war against Gaddafi’s rule.

But claims that the declaration is illegal did not deter the city’s inhabitants from pressing ahead with their goal. They appointed Ahmed al-Zubair, Libya’s longest-serving political prisoner under Gaddafi and a member of the NTC, as leader of a governing council. Already, al-Zubair has pledged to protect the rights of the region but conceded that the council would still need to recognise the NTC to run Libya’s foreign affairs.

Those championing the idea have argued that it is not a new idea but that they were simply reverting to a constitutional agreement made in the 1950s, which divided Libya into three states namely Cyrenaica, Tripolitania and Fezzan and gave Cyrenaica a large degree of autonomy. As a result, he said the move had the support of the local army as well as political and tribal leaders. Cyrenaica stretches from the central coastal city of Sirte to the Libyan-Egyptian border in the east and contains two-thirds of the country’s oil reserves.

This meeting of the Congress of the People of Cyrenaica was indeed popular among the city’s dwellers. It was held in a hanger on the outskirts of Benghazi, and delegates danced and chanted slogans in support of federalism. Hundreds of people crowded into a hangar on the outskirts of Benghazi. In attendance were tribal elders in traditional costumes, military officers in a multitude of uniforms, and militia leaders in the patchy camouflage fatigues of the revolution. They danced and clapped their hands as they chanted slogans about federalism. “We are now the state of Cyrenaica,” a spokesman for the event said and added that the military was behind them.

The military’s support for the war particularly led to its success. When many top military officers abandoned the Libyan army to support the rebels, their fighting became more co-ordinated and their strategy assumed a more well-defined note. For them to be supporting the oil-rich region’s demand for autonomy, therefore, holds grave consequences for Libya’s unity and its continued existence as a nation.

Gaddafi’s death has left Libya in a state of political dilemma. Tribes and other groups across the country are staking out their positions and the latest demand for independence is another negative development in this regard. Although, people in the region say that all they want is an equal share of the country’s resources, the declaration of semi-autonomy will fuel fears in Tripoli and elsewhere of a battle for control of Libya’s resources.

The fact that the NTC has unsuccessfully tried persuading the rebels to disarm might even propel this discord into another orgy of violence. The government wants to persuade fighters to hand in their weapons and join the national army. While some of the rebels said they had done so, reports indicate that a greater percentage of the rebels are yet to do so. Those that did so are even complaining of not being adequately compensated. This could discourage others from emulating their action.

Amnesty International, the human rights group, has documented widespread and persistent instances of torture, including prolonged beatings and electric shocks. Though most Libyans agree that the freedoms which the revolution achieved, such as of speech, and to partake in politics is changing their lives for the better, it also portends danger of renewed violence.

The state of uncertainty is making it difficult for NTC to plan well and to rebuild the country. The Tripoli’s international airport became a bustling little place soon after the crisis but in need of repair. But rebels have taken over the place. They roam the terminal floor and patrol the runways. They captured the airport a few months ago and it has become their power base. The uprising that toppled Gaddafi last year may have ended but the Zintanis remains in place. The rebels are from Zintan. They belong to one of the many militias or thwar that control key areas of the country.

But, the Zintanis feel they have the right to hold Tripoli Airport for now. They see themselves as guardians of the revolution. They are from across Libya. Though many of the towns where they hail from are tiny, Zintan has only about 50,000 inhabitants, but whenever they win a key victory in the uprising, they assume a role far bigger than expected of a people with that population. It was the Zintanis who captured Saif al-Islam last November. That, along with their control of Tripoli airport, makes them a powerful force.

But government is battling hard to disband the different armed groups and replace them with a national army and police. But, the force is yet to be established even though Youssef Mangoush was appointed the commander-in-chief of the army.

Above all, there is disunity among the rebels. Most of the former rebels have not accepted to work with fighters from the old regime. This has led to sporadic clashes between the groups. In the latest confrontation that occurred just a few days ago between militias from Tripoli and Misrata, four men were killed in the heart of the capital.

The situation is so tense that Mustafa Abdel-Jalil, chairman of Libya’s National Transitional Council, has now warned of the possibility of a “civil war” if the armed groups are not brought under control.

Deadly Explosions In Congo

Endurance Akoro

It was another sad moment in Congo Brazzaville.  On Sunday, March 4, 146 people were killed and many others wounded as huge explosions at an arms depot rocked the capital city of Brazzaville. The explosion was caused by a spark of fire from electrical short circuits which led to the fire outbreak that quickly spread through the depot. Although the main fire outbreak has been brought under control, there were still cases of small detonations in Brazzaville. There is also fear that more havoc would be unleashed from an arms dump only 100 metres away from the scene of the fire outbreak.

A visibly shaken Denis Sassou-Nguesso, president of Congo, described the ordeal as “a tragic accident.” Nguesso said the government was doing all it could to contain the destruction and urged the Congolese to show courage and solidarity.

 Charlse Zacharie Bowao, minister of defence, appealed to the people to remain calm. “The explosions that you have heard don’t mean there is a war or a coup nor does it mean there was a mutiny. It is an incident caused by a fire at the munitions depot,” he said.

But,  a rescue mission found it difficult reaching hundreds of people who are trapped under the debris because of the explosions still going on miles away. Russian, French and Congolese experts were on the field near the area trying to prevent the fires from reaching a second depot where heavier weapons are kept. Also, the United States, other embassies and non-governmental organisations were working with the Congolese government on how best to deliver aids to the people.

Some had to flee the neighbourhoods to Red Cross camps. The Red Cross had set up camps inside some churches that could accommodate more than 3,000 refugees. In addition, the government said it had taken charge of children displaced by the inferno and found wandering alone on the streets.

Putin Returns

Vladi­mir Putin, Russian prime minister, is back as president of Russia. He scored 63.75 percent of the votes to become Russia next president until 2018. This will be his third presidential term. He spent the last four years as the country’s prime minister. At a brief appearance with the outgoing President Dmitry Medvedev, Putin thanked his supporters from every corner of the country, saying the election was an open and honest contest.  “I promised you we would win, and we won,” he said.

The electoral commission  at a news briefing last Monday, said that with more than 99 percent of votes counted, Putin won 63.75 percent, enough to give him a first round victory over nearest rival Gennady Zyuganov, who polled 17.19 percent. In his reaction, Zyuganov, the first runner up in the election, described it as unfair and unworthy. He said that with increasing public anger Putin would not be able to rule like he used to.

Nevertheless, tens of thousands of supporters of Putin with Russian flags and banners came out to celebrate his victory. Different concerts were organised in cities to celebrate.

 But Golos, a leading independent election watchdog, said the polls could not be considered fair and open. It alleged instances of forced voting, as well as cases of numerous reports of multiple ballots. It also said that campaigning had been insufficiently competitive. “Such elections cannot be called fair, just and open according to the Russian constitution and international standards,” a Golos’ spokeswoman said at a news conference. The agency said Putin only won 50 percent of the votes far less than the official figure given by the election commission. Also, monitors with the Organisation for Security and Co-operation, OSCE, said the elections were clearly skewed in favour of the winner, Putin.

Last week, protesters took to the streets challenging the results of the election. “These elections cannot be considered legitimate in any way,” said Vladdimir Ryzhkov, one of the leaders of the street protest movement. This rally, which follows a series of massive previous protests, has been sanctioned by authorities but security was tight, with some 12,000 police deployed to ensure order.