Libya on the brink of total lawlessness
Libyans recently held their first democratic election since the killing of Col Gaddafi last summer. But who is really in control of Libya? That’s the question being asked as militia attacks in the country increase every day.
Several media reports have highlighted evidence of unprovoked attacks, torture and illegal detention by rival Libyan tribes, especially in the west of the country. In some cases, even ordinary people suspected of having helped Col Gaddafi during his reign have been targeted.
Just last month, gunmen kidnapped two Libyan journalists, whose whereabouts remain unknown. Meanwhile, the president of the Libyan Olympic Committee, Ahmed Nabil al-Taher al-Alam, was taken at gun point by two carloads of men in uniform. Although he was released after a week in captivity, his captors were not identified at press time.
Immigrants in Libya have not been spared, either. Sub-Saharan Africans in particular have been subjected to appalling treatment; some have been openly attacked by militias who suspect them of supporting the former junta, while thousands are being held and mistreated in prisons controlled by armed gangs.
Libya’s interim government appears to be helpless in resolving the situation, making it possible for many of the former rebel fighters to be operating with impunity. The indication is that Libya is gradually becoming a lawless state.
We believe that the time is overdue to help Libya rebuild its institutions. Failure to do so would defeat the aim of removing Col Gaddafi, and would surely plunge Libya into anarchy.
