TRIPOLI, Libya (AP) – Libyans on Wednesday marked the 10th anniversary of their 2011 uprising that led to the overthrow and assassination of the old ruler Moammar Gadhafi. Many have turned their eyes to a newly appointed government tasked with leading Libya through elections later this year, in hopes of uniting the divided nation.
The celebrations 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 to mark the anniversary.
There were also festivities in other cities to the south, where fireworks in the city of Sabha apparently killed a child and injured about 15 people, medical and city officials said. The Sabha municipality later called for an investigation into the cause of Tuesday night’s explosion during parties in the Mansheya district.
There were also celebrations in the eastern city of Benghazi, once known as the birthplace of the 2011 uprising in Libya. With Libyan flags in hand, a few people gathered in the town’s square, despite a wave of cold weather hitting the land this week.
Hassan Wanis, head of the General Authority for Culture in Tripoli, said celebrations and commemorative events were planned in the three regions of ancient Libya: Tripolitania to the west, Cyrenaica to the east, and Fezzan to the southwest.
“All people are ready to have a special celebration this time, to unite the country,” he said.
Faraj Rajab, a schoolteacher, said there was far too much uncertainty and economic setbacks to celebrate. He said he hopes the newly appointed government will pave the way for elections.
“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 Tunisia’s Zine El Abidine Ben Ali and Egypt’s Hosni Mubarak in what became known as the Arab Spring.
Libya has become one of the most persistent conflicts, along with Yemen and Syria, left over from the 2011 uprisings. In the years following Gaddafi’s expulsion, the North African country has fallen into chaos and has become a haven for Islamic militants and armed groups surviving from looting and human trafficking.
The oil-rich country has split into rival administrations in recent years: a UN-backed but weak government in Tripoli – a city largely controlled by a range of armed factions – and an east-based government backed by strongman Gen. Khalifa Hifter. Each is backed by foreign governments.
There have been devastating acts of violence. The latter started in April 2019, when Hifter, who 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 government with hundreds of troops and thousands of Syrian mercenaries.
Months of UN-led talks resulted in a deal in October ending hostilities calling for the withdrawal of all foreign troops and mercenaries within three months and for compliance with a UN arms embargo, provisions not met .
The talks also established a Libyan Political Dialogue Forum, which earlier this month appointed an interim government – a three-member presidential council and a prime minister – to lead the country through the elections scheduled for December 24. .
The interim government also includes Mohammad Younes Menfi, a Libyan diplomat from the east of the country who hails from the tribe of anti-colonial hero Omar al-Mukhtar, as chairman of Libya’s presidential council. Abdul Hamid Mohammed Dbeibah, a pragmatic, well-connected businessman from the western city of Misrata, was appointed prime minister.
Dbeibah is still negotiating the formation of his cabinet, requiring confirmation from the country’s divided parliament. Menfi arrived in Tripoli on Tuesday and met with Dbeibah and other officials. According to Menfi’s office, the three-member presidential council held its first meeting in Tripoli on Wednesday to discuss the mechanisms to hold the vote in December.
In separate phone calls Tuesday with Menfi and Dbeiba, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres stressed the importance of holding the elections and carrying out the ceasefire, including the withdrawal of foreign troops from Libya. According to the UN, there are currently at least 20,000 mercenaries and foreign fighters in the country
In a report on the anniversary, Amnesty International reiterated its call to hold to account those involved in war crimes and serious human rights violations over the past 10 years.
“Unless those responsible for violations are brought to justice, rather than rewarded with positions of power, the violence, chaos, systematic human rights violations and endless suffering of civilians that have characterized post-Gadhafi Libya will continue unabated. Continue, ”said Diana Eltahawy, the group’s deputy regional director.
“We call on the parties to the conflict in Libya and the incoming 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 enshrine impunity” , Eltahawy added.
In recent years, Libya has also emerged as the dominant transit point for migrants fleeing war and poverty in Africa and the Middle East. Traffickers often transport desperate families in poorly equipped dinghies that turn and strand along the dangerous Mediterranean route.
Thousands drown along the way, while others end up in filthy smuggler pens or overcrowded detention centers when arrested by authorities.
Magdy reported from Cairo.