LIBYA: Fighting in southeast spreads, report says

The daily Arab-language newspaper Asharq al-Awsat is reporting that the riots and fighting in southeastern Libya that began last week and left at least 11 people dead has spread to the country's second-largest city, Benghazi.

According to the report, which cites opposition groups and anonymous individuals inside Libya, the fighting between the Tabu tribe and security forces that began in the cluster of oasis towns near Kufrah, "is spreading to other nearby cities despite all the security measures the government is imposing."

A group of men engaged in street battles with police in the cities of al-Salmani and al-Majuri in support of Kufrah residents, the Nov. 10 report said.

A letter distributed by an opposition group said that some opponents of Libyan leader Muammar Kadafi are preparing "to launch a series of public demonstrations."

This is all hard to confirm. A report in the Media Line describes the challenge succinctly:

The reports are hard to authenticate because of the closed and secretive nature of the Libyan regime. Reports of the clashes have largely been leaked by bloggers and opposition groups.

Libyan officials have been tight-lipped about events in the heavily policed country. The Reuters news agency on Monday cited an official Libyan newspaper as saying that fighting in Kufrah between the Tabu and Zawiya tribes had left six people dead.

Asharq al-Awsat also cited Libyan news sources as saying that fighting broke out between the two tribes after the Tabu clan hoisted the flag of neighboring country Chad in some locations of Kufrah.

But the explanation of tribal warfare squares somewhat with accounts of opposition figures, who say that authorities have armed local militias to combat the Tabu, which the Libyan government accuses of being loyal to Chad.

Many human-rights advocates have urged the West not to ignore Libya's alleged treatment of its own citizens as it cozies up to the onetime pariah nation. But an analysis published by the North Africa Journal suggests Kadafi is cracking down on the Tabu precisely to please the West:

"Many local tribe leaders have pledged allegiance to Chad and Sudan precisely at the time when Tripoli has been seeking to reassert more influence in the region. The riots were also largely the result of a drastic social and economic environment ... believed to have been engineered by Tripoli to punish them for pledging allegiance to the country's southern neighbors. But Tripoli has also been targeting the region under the pretext of arms smuggling and terrorism support so as to eliminate any complaints from Western governments."

The Asharq al-Awsat report said many were frightened of a harsh crackdown. The newspaper said that telephone lines and cellphone access have been cut off to the area.

“Security measures are being implemented to the fullest on [Kufrah's] borders as we witness the landing of two military planes carrying supplies at the military airport,” one local told the paper.

-- Khaled Hijab and Borzou Daragahi in Beirut

Photo: A scene from Tripoli, Libya's capital and principal city. Credit: Patrick Andre Perron

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Comments

[Mohamed Ali Ender]

here is my answer to all this non sense that's happening in Libya, 1} That these small pockets of clashes that are erupting are the results of certaint people that do not want a free democracy in Libya, 2} they are feeling the heat from the Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi do to there corrupt administrations by steeling from the people and lying to Muammar Qaddafi
on whats going on with the Libyan people, these same people that are, all of a sudden rising in parts of Libya and starting what they call a political up rise is nothing but a big lie to the world, they are the same people that are corrupt, The Libyan leader Moamer Qaddafi said he is determined to scrap ministries and ensure oil revenues go directly into the people's pockets In a speech to mark the anniversary of a 1969, Qaddafi on September 1 promised wide political and economic reforms that he said would also see ministries dismantled in result of there corruption and poor management, All ministries except foreign affairs, defence, security and justice would be dismantled, he told the Popular Congress, which serves as Libya's parliament. I hope to god that the Libyan leader will keep on fighting for the people of Libya and there rights and put an end to all the riots and fighting by destroying the same people that are corrupting the country.

[Mohamed Ali Ender]

I wonder why this political clash would spreed to Benghazi ? another question is would this political clash with the government, Drag Triplane People in it as well, Could it be that the people of Libya have gotten sick and tired of the way there living. with no medical care in hospitals ? No laws enforced on those who have some power in Libya from the chain of command ? with no rights to those who have suffered for years and years watching others from the so called Government tack away there property from them and leaving them pore and dismantled from trying to build there lives. Could it just be something El's that's lurking in the air in Libya?