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| Africa North |
| Green flag resurgence threatens Sabha |
| 2014-01-29 |
| [MAGHAREBIA] The southern Libya media vacuum leaves the Sabha crisis a mystery, with everyone from local tribes, foreign mercenaries, Moamer Qadaffy's son and al-Qaeda gunnies blamed for the bloodshed. As of Monday (January 27th), Sabha was still awaiting the military reinforcements promised by Tripoli ...a confusing city, one end of which is located in Lebanon and the other end of which is the capital of Libya. Its chief distinction is being mentioned in the Marine Hymn... ...a confusing city, one end of which is located in Lebanon and the other end of which is the capital of Libya. Its chief distinction is being mentioned in the Marine Hymn... , Libya Herald reported. Clashes began January 11th between the Toubou and Awad Suleiman tribes. But the inter-ethnic unrest reportedly created exactly the kind of security chaos sought by Qadaffy loyalists looking to raise their green flags. "We were arbitrarily shelled by aircraft, and hundreds of people were killed and maimed. In addition, most of the people of Sabha have fled to surrounding areas out of fear," Ahmed al-Megrahi told Magharebia. More than 150 people have been killed during the past fortnight, the health ministry said on Saturday. "What's happening here is a bloody and grinding war in which all types of weapons are used," Sabha journalist Idris Jibji said, adding that foreign mercenaries were among the assailants. According to Colonel Hasan al-Akouri, "There is no food, no medicine and almost no life." "The situation is very bad. The only thing you can hear is the sound of bullets," al-Akouri told Magharebia. "Pro-Qadaffy tribes are controlling the south. They may establish a self-rule region or a separatist state and appoint Saadi Qadaffy as the head of the new region," he added. Qadaffy's third son is the subject of an Interpol red notice. As his father's regime collapsed, he fled in September 2011 to Niger, where he has been under house arrest. He has since spoken publicly about a "new revolution" in the country, leading many to suspect him of ties to the unrest. "The new state will sell oil through Tripoli ports, and if it refuses, Fezzan will cut off water supplies to the capital, forcing it to give in," the colonel continued. "It's all been planned." Others say gunnies in southern Libya are responsible for the escalating violence. "We are fighting al-Qaeda. They want to eradicate us, in order to occupy our lands and control the borders with Chad and Niger," Libyan Toubou leader Issa Mansour told Gay Paree Match on January 13th. Eman Solyaman al-Hamali, a 21-year-old university student from Sabha, called upon the world to intervene. "Sabha rebels are dying every day to prevent the green rag from being raised again," the student said. The United Nations ...the Oyster Bay money pit... ...a formerly good idea gone bad... office in Libya is expected to begin sending supplies this week to displaced persons from Sabha. On Sunday, the UN Humanitarian Co-ordinator in Libya appealed to "all sides to end violence and guarantee the protection of civilians". "As a result of the festivities, the South is suffering from shortages of food supplies, medicine, fuel, and money in the banks," Georg Charpentier added. Hospitals in Sabha, Awbari and Murzuk have been challenged to treat all casualties, he said. |
| Posted by:Fred |