TRIPOLI, Libya (AP) – The Libyans marked the 10th anniversary of the 2011 uprising on Wednesday, which led to the overthrow and assassination of Prince Moammar Gadhafi. Many have their eyes on a newly appointed government tasked with leading Libya through this year’s elections, hoping to unify the divided nation.
The festivities began late Tuesday in the capital Tripoli, where people gathered in the city’s main square amid tight security. Key streets and squares were cleaned and decorated with banners and photos marking the anniversary.
Festivities also took place in other southern cities, where fireworks in the town of Sabha appear to have killed a child and injured about 15 people, city and medical officials said. Sabha Municipality later requested an investigation into the cause of the explosion Tuesday night during celebrations in the Mansheya neighborhood.
There were also celebrations in the eastern city of Benghazi, once known as the birthplace of the 2011 Libyan uprising. Holding Libyan flags, several people gathered in the city’s square, despite a wave of cold weather that hit the country this week.
Hassan Wanis, head of the general cultural authority in Tripoli, said holidays and commemorative events were planned in the three regions of ancient Libya: Tripolitania in the west, Cyrenaica in the east and Fezzan in the southwest.
“All people are ready to celebrate especially this time, to unite the country,” he said.
Faraj Rajab, a school teacher, said there was far too much insecurity and economic hardship to celebrate. He said he hoped the new government would pave the way for the election.
“We are still living with failure, corruption and destruction,” he said.
Libyans took to the streets 10 years ago, shortly after protests led to the overthrow of Zine El Abidine Ben Ali of Tunisia and Egyptian Hosni Mubarak in what became known as the Arab Spring.
Libya has become one of the most uncomfortable conflicts, along with Yemen and Syria, left over from the 2011 riots. In the years following Gadhafi’s ouster, the North African country has fallen into chaos and has become a haven for Islamic militants and armed groups that survive through robbery and human trafficking.
The oil-rich country has been divided in recent years between rival administrations: a UN-backed but weak government in Tripoli – a city largely controlled by a number of armed factions – and an eastern government backed by the powerful Gen. Khalifa Hifter. Each is supported by foreign governments.
There have been devastating crises of violence. The latest began in April 2019, when Hifter, which is backed by the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Russia, launched an offensive to capture Tripoli. His campaign collapsed after Turkey stepped up military support for the Tripoli administration with hundreds of soldiers and thousands of Syrian mercenaries.
Months of UN-led talks resulted in an agreement in October that put an end to hostilities and called for the withdrawal of all foreign forces and mercenaries within three months and the adherence to a UN arms embargo, which has not been complied with.
The talks also set up a forum for Libyan political dialogue, which earlier this month called for an interim government – a three-member presidential council and a prime minister – to lead the country through elections scheduled for December 24.
The interim government includes Mohammad Younes Menfi, a Libyan diplomat from the east of the country, from the tribe of anti-colonial hero Omar al-Mukhtar, as chairman of Libya’s presidential council. Abdul Hamid Mohammed Dbeibah, a pragmatic and well-connected businessman from the western city of Misrata, has been named prime minister.
Dbeibah is still consulting on the formation of his cabinet, which needs confirmation from the country’s divided parliament. Menfi arrived in Tripoli on Tuesday and met with Dbeibah and other officials. According to the Menfi bureau, the three-member presidential council held its first meeting in Tripoli on Wednesday to discuss mechanisms for the December election.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres stressed on Tuesday, in separate telephone calls with Menfi and Dbeiba, the importance of holding elections and implementing a ceasefire agreement, including the withdrawal of foreign forces from Libya. There are currently at least 20,000 foreign mercenaries and fighters in the country, according to the UN
In a report marking the anniversary, Amnesty International reiterated its demands to hold accountable those who have been involved in war crimes and serious human rights violations over the past 10 years.
“Unless those responsible for the violations are brought to justice, rather than rewarded with positions of power, violence, chaos, systematic human rights abuses and the endless suffering of civilians who have characterized post-Gadhafi Libya will continue unabated. Said Diana Eltahawy, the group’s deputy regional director.
“We call on the parties to the conflict in Libya and the new unity government to ensure that those suspected of committing crimes under international law are not appointed to positions where they can continue to abuse and strengthen impunity,” Eltahawy added. .
In recent years, Libya has also emerged as a dominant transit point for migrants fleeing war and poverty in Africa and the Middle East. Traffickers often wrap desperate families in poorly equipped rubber boats that stop and set off along the dangerous Mediterranean route.
Thousands drown on the road, while others end up being held in smugglers’ camps or in crowded detention centers if captured by authorities.
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Magdy reported from Cairo.