Maverick Libyan general steps into political void, stirring unrest
A retired general led attacks on Islamist militias in Benghazi, then moved onto Tripoli, where the parliament came under attack Sunday. It has since asked Islamist militia to restore order.
A retired general led attacks on Islamist militias in Benghazi, then moved onto Tripoli, where the parliament came under attack Sunday. It has since asked Islamist militia to restore order.
Attacks in Benghazi by a maverick general and a subsequent armed assault on the parliament in Tripoli may reflect a political shoving match between Libya's main Islamist camp and rival groups.
Libya has struggled to build a stable democracy since the 2011 overthrow of Muammar Qaddafi. The interim parliament, the General National Congress (GNC) elected in 2012, has been聽regularly聽paralyzed by internal squabbling聽and two prime ministers have been ousted on no-confidence votes.聽In the absence of a strong state,聽myriad local militias across the country operate with impunity.
On Friday, forces led by聽retired general and former rebel leader聽Khalifa Haftar attacked hardline Islamist militias聽that operate unchecked in the eastern city of Benghazi. The government denounced the attacks as tantamount to a coup聽since Mr. Haftar had acted on his own volition. He said he was taking it upon himself to rid the city of violent groups only because the government had failed to do so.
On Sunday gunmen attacked the GNC鈥檚 meeting hall.聽Exactly who聽planned and carried out聽the attack remains unclear.聽While聽Haftar鈥檚 forces, who call themselves the 鈥淟ibyan National Army,鈥� claimed credit and demanded that the GNC stand down,聽there were also unconfirmed reports that powerful militias from Zintan, a city southwest of Tripoli, took part in the attack. Today the Libyan parliament asked Islamist militias to deploy in the city to help reestablish government control, the Associated Press reports.聽
Haftar accuses Libya鈥檚 interim authorities of failing to restore order and is demanding that the GNC cede its role to a constitutional drafting committee elected in February.聽
It is unclear whether Haftar commands聽widespread聽loyalty among Libya鈥檚 fledgling armed forces or the country鈥檚 militias. In February he appeared on TV in military uniform and demanded the GNC step down, triggering brief fears of a coup聽that did not materialize.聽Yet his criticism may resonate with Libyans frustrated with interim authorities鈥� performance.聽
Parliamentary blocs
Sunday鈥檚 assault on the GNC building may have been timed to disrupt a planned vote on a new cabinet for Prime Minister-elect Ahmed Matiq. It represents a challenge to an interim parliament considered 鈥渢oo close to the Islamists鈥� by its critics, says a Western diplomat who spoke on condition of anonymity. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a power struggle between [liberals] and Islamists,鈥� he says.
A coalition of more liberal-minded parties, the National Forces Alliance, came first in 2012 elections for the GNC. But聽the Islamist Justice and Construction Party has since built a more solid parliamentary bloc. The party鈥檚 critics accuse of it being influenced by harder-edged groups such as Libya鈥檚 Muslim Brotherhood.聽
Libya鈥檚 government, currently led by an聽interim prime minister, insists it remains in charge; Tripoli was calm this morning, the diplomat said. The GNC plans to vote on Mr. Matiq鈥檚 cabinet in the coming days, which would confirm him as prime minister.
Political turmoil is nothing new in post-Qaddafi Libya, where the GNC has come under attack numerous times already, notes Sami Zaptia, a business analyst and the editor of the country鈥檚聽Libya Herald聽online newspaper.聽Meanwhile, eastern militias demanding regional autonomy continue to blockade two of four oil ports they seized last year, cutting deeply into Libya鈥檚 oil exports.
Still, other aspects of life move forward, Mr. Zaptia says.聽鈥淭he irony is that I鈥檓 talking to you about this from a trade fair, with hundreds of companies present.鈥�