The Star Early Edition

The army has secured the east and, thank God, with the southern offensive now also the south

- Fawzeia al-Furjani Reuters

the UN is biased towards Islamists.

But many LNA supporters are sceptical about dialogue. They are more encouraged by a military offensive in the south, where Haftar has challenged the government in Tripoli by taking control of the region’s main city and biggest oilfield.

Some say the 75-year-old general should order his troops to head for Tripoli without waiting for an election.

“The army has secured the east and, thank God, with the southern offensive now also the south,” said Fawzeia al-Furjani, a business leader who is from Haftar’s tribe. “How can you hold elections in the west when you have militias in control?”

But a push to the west by Haftar seems unlikely for now as his forces are already stretched in the south. They would in any case face resistance in Tripoli and other cities in western Libya, where many are suspicious of Haftar as a new Gaddafi.

When asked about a possible offensive towards Tripoli, LNA spokespers­on Ahmed Mismari said only: “The army (LNA) is in charge of protecting the whole of Libya.” He said the force supported the idea of elections but saw no chance of reconcilia­tion with former Business leader anti-LNA fighters. Benghazi was the first Libyan city to rise up, in February 2011, because Gaddafi had punished the east for disloyalty by neglecting it during his 42 years in power.

While Tripoli saw two years of relative stability once Gaddafi was killed, things went downhill within months in Benghazi as rival camps began to fight.

By 2012, much of the city had poor security with al-Qaeda flags at some checkpoint­s. The US ambassador was killed by Islamist militants.

Haftar assembled his old army comrades and declared war on the Islamists, a conflict he won only in November 2017.

Since then, life in Benghazi has improved. Critics say that Haftar has resurrecte­d the old police state and his supporters have seized the property of opponents who fled to western Libya, charges denied by officials. But residents enjoy late-night shopping, theatres have reopened, and fuel shortages are a thing of the past.

Benghazi is, however, divided over how much power should go to Haftar.

His supporters refer to him as “mushir”, or field marshal, a title granted by the eastern parliament. He is seen as a candidate for eventual presidenti­al elections.

“I can only see Khalifa Haftar as president. He has built the state,” said Atluba, the café owner.

But some activists who welcomed Haftar’s military victory now want a civilian leader.

“I am not ready to give up a civil state,” said a lawyer who gave his name as Essam. “For this we need an army like in any state. But it won’t have a political role.”

Haftar benefits from historic divisions between east and west – separate regions before Libya’s independen­ce in 1951 – which have sharpened in recent years. His forces depend on tribal alliances in eastern Libya. They have put out feelers to the west, where some have voiced support for Haftar, but their power base is in the east.

The LNA has also attracted supporters of a “federalist” movement, campaignin­g since 2011 for more power for the east, which sits on much of Libya’s oil.

The war’s destructio­n has created a sense of neglect in Benghazi as there is no money to rebuild. At least 10000 apartments and other sites such as the port and university campus were damaged or destroyed, officials say.

The Tripoli-based central bank has almost $75billion (R1trillion) in foreign reserves but sends little cash to the eastern government, working only with the internatio­nally recognised administra­tion in Tripoli.

Many Benghazi residents have lost patience with politician­s and look to the military to get things done.

“I refurbishe­d my shop, which had been heavily damaged, without any help from the government,” said Anis Tajouri, who had just reopened a oneroom store in Benghazi’s old market, formerly a combat zone.

He called for a strong national leader: “The democracy we’ve had since 2011 hasn’t worked out. We are a tribal society.” |

 ??  ?? MEN restore their shops that were destroyed by war in an old popular market, known as the Souk al-Jureid, in Benghazi, Libya. | Esam Omran Al-Fetori Reuters African News Agency (ANA)
MEN restore their shops that were destroyed by war in an old popular market, known as the Souk al-Jureid, in Benghazi, Libya. | Esam Omran Al-Fetori Reuters African News Agency (ANA)

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