http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/75968/World/Region/Libyan-protesters-call-for-armed-militias-to-be-di.aspx
Libyan protesters took to the streets on Sunday calling for the disbanding of militias that have plagued Tripoli since the end of the 2011 war.
Libyan protesters call for armed militias to be disbanded
"No brigades, no militias, we want an army loyal to the state," chanted Libyans protesting against the presence of former rebel fighter militias
Reuters , Sunday 7 Jul 2013
The government said it was working on taking back control of the interior ministry besieged by an armed group that entered the building on Tuesday and ordered staff to leave.
A crowd of 300 people gathered in the capital's central Algeria Square waving white flags and carrying banners reading "No brigades, no militias, we want an army loyal to the state" as well as "Without an army and police, Libya is trouble".
Armed groups made up of former rebel fighters from different parts of the North African country have grown in power and ambition since Muammar Gaddafi's ouster and the weak central government has struggled to impose its authority over them.
"Most of the problems in the city are caused by militias fighting for power," Nasreldeen Abdullah, one of the organisers of the protest, said. "There have been robberies, violence and civilians killed for no reasons. We are fed up with this."
Libya, a major oil producer, remains awash with weapons after the Western-backed uprising. But the central government, whose own forces are too weak to maintain security, has found itself having to co-opt or license some of the most powerful militias to maintain even a semblance of order.
"If there is no security or stability in the capital, where can there be security and stability," Mahmoud Bayou, 31, said.
A ministerial committee has been in talks to regain control of the interior ministry from a militia, Electricity Minister Ali Mohammed Muhairiq told reporters. "We are in constant communication...to end the siege and we hope this will happen within two or three days," he said.
The government has said it is drawing up plans to disband militias but has not given details of how the authorities will tackle the bands of fighters.
"This is something that will take a long time, it can't be done in a day," Muhairiq said.
Prime Minister Ali Zeidan said the government would raise salaries to lure former rebel fighters into the state forces. He added that around 19,500 men - police and army - would be sent for training to the United States, France, Britain and Italy.
From the Libya Herald.....
Rome talks focus on security cooperation
By Nihal Zaroug.
Libyan PM Ali Zeidan and Italian PM Enrico Letta, during a Rome press conference (Photo: Libyan PM Office)
Tripoli, July 6 2013:
Prime Minister Ali Zeidan, Finance Minister Abdulkarim Al-Kilani and Minister of Foreign Affairs Mohamed Abdel Aziz, were in the Italian capital of Rome on Wednesday and Thursday, where they met with several Italian officials including Premier Enrico Letta, Minister of Defense Mario Maura, President Giorgio Napolitano, and President of the Italian Senate Pietro Grasso.
After returning from the G8 Summit in Northern Ireland, Zeidan had announced that a trip to Italy would be organised to discuss bilateral relations.
During the state visit, the activation of agreements and several other issues were discussed, with a focus on helping Libya with its internal security and border control. The latter is a major issue for not only Libya but Europe in general, as migrants looking to exit Africa, have ended up on the shores of Malta and Italy.
In particular, the close proximity of the 20-square kilometre Italian island of Lampedusa, to both Libya and Tunisia, has made it bear the majority of “boat people” set to reach Southern Europe. According to Pietro Bartolo, the chief medical examiner for Lampedusa, 500 immigrants arrived in the past week, aided by favourable weather conditions at sea.
Zeidan made it clear that Libya alone could not handle the problem of migrant influx and needed help from European states. Zeidan welcomed a partnership with Italy to find viable solutions. He said at a joint press conference held on Thursday, that equipment and training would be made available to stop illegal migration, particular from the porous southern borders. Furthermore, 5,000 Libya troops would undergo training in Italy within the coming weeks, said Zeidan, as part of the cooperation between the two nations.
For his part Letta, affirmed Italy’s commitment to collaborating with Libya, stating ‘‘we can trust one another and do an excellent job together and that is exactly what we will do”. However, as quoted by ANSAmed, Letta cautioned that “the end of all kinds of violence, especially against civilians, is the precondition for our cooperation work to develop and give positive results”. Despite, this prerequisite, Letta has accepted an invitation to visit Libya on 8 July.
At the press conference, Zeidan, confirmed recent speculation that Italian contracts could soon be re-activated. The PM stated that companies were being encouraged to complete their existing contracts and even introduce new projects.
Answering questions on the recent proceedings in Egypt, Zeidan, held that Libya was with whatever choice was made by the Egyptian people and wished them “stability and safety”. Strategic relations would remain unchanged, as the two countries’ relationship was based on “neighbourly mutual respect”. As to the Egyptian Army’s role in the events, Zeidan said that Libya does not interfere in sovereign affairs of states, repeating that Libya backed the choice made by the people of Egypt.
Tensions soar between Zintan and Ghariyan
By Hadi Fornaji
Tripoli, 6 July 2013:
There was tension around Ghariyan in the early hours of this morning with Zintani fighters said to be on the city boundaries and some reports of actual fighting with units from Ghariyan.
It appears that early last night Ghariyan forces intercepted a Zintani convoy of 13 vehicles on a back road, to the north-west of the town. The vehicles were said to be carrying arms and on their way to Tripoli. The Ghariyanis seized the convoy and an unknown number of those travelling in it.
It is understood that a few hours later a force set out from Zintan to retrieve the vehicles and their contents. There are also overnight reports that some Ghariyanis in Tripoli have been seized by an unidentified Zintani-connected militia in the capital.
It was only five days ago that the Ghariyan Revolutionaries formally handed over control of the city’s Khalifa Al Tekbai camp to the army, placing themselves under the direct control of the Tripoli Military Area Command . The handover ceremony was one of the first official events to be attended by the new president of the GNC, Nuri Abu Sahmain.
Hundreds gather in Algeria Square – plan to take on the militias
By Tom Westcott and Seraj Essul.
Hundreds of protestors in Algeria Square this afternoon (Photo: Tom Westcott, Libya Herald)
Tripoli, 7 July 2013:
Protestors demonstrating against the continued presence of unofficial brigades in the country are threatening, once they gather enough people, to take on the militias.
“Later today we plan to peacefully march to Martyrs Square and, when we have enough people, we will go on to the headquarters of these militias,” one of the protest organisers told the Libya Herald.
This afternoon’s protest was noticeably more organised than previous attempts to rally the residents of Tripoli into action. The roads around Algeria Square were closed and, as the day reached its hottest point, volunteers were handing out iced drinks to demonstrators.
“The government should come down here and feel the heat with us – then they might see sense,” one protestor said. “At the moment they are sitting in their comfy chairs with air conditioning, and can’t see the problems,” he said, “they just try to give us a paracetamol.”
Traffic around the square, as well as the protest itself, was being monitored by members of the military police, the army and the police, none of whom had weapons on show. Their job, one said, was to protect the protestors from any militia.
“The problem is only the militias,” one demonstrator said, “they have finished their job and now they should step down, go home and enjoy the holiday. They need some rest.” He added that it was time for these unofficial brigades to let the civilians do their job.
Protestors came not just from Tripoli, but outlying towns including Zintan and Zawia, according to army officer Laith Alhasi.
“People want these militias to join the army and the police force,” Alhasi told the Libya Herald, “but as individuals, rather than a group joining up together.” He added that Libyans wanted security forces to break their links to political parties.
The protest is expected to attract many more supporters this evening, once people finish work for the day.
One protestor rode his motorcycle around the square, stopping to recite poetry to police officers (Photo: Tom Westcott, Libya Herald)
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