Judging by the amount of space the media gives to Libya these days, one would think things are going well there. They appear to be going well in Tripoli, but many parts of the country are in serious trouble, says Nicolas Pelham, who has reported about the Arab world for a couple of decades.
Things are pretty bad in the south; the violence there is worse than when the 'revolution' was being fought. Ethnic feuding seems to be the main reason. An Arab leader in the area feels, “But we’re cursing this government for abandoning us to the
Africans.” An African has been placed in charge of guarding the Chad border; presumably he and his followers benefit personally from this position.
The Berbers are also acting up. They are one of the largest groups in Libya; they make up over 20% of the population. Qaddafi spent a fair amount of energy trying to convert the Berbers to Arabs. He did not succeed.
Many of the rebel militias are still active and, in some place, in charge. There is no criminal justice system, the judges are not eager to issue verdicts, the police can't enforce the laws.
1 comment:
No better off than the Iraqis after the US/UK interfered. No better off than the Afghans, when NATO (read US/UK) decide they've had enough and pull out after stomping all over the country. Syria will likely be next for western (read US/UK) 'intervention'. That'll make four failed states this century - and we're only twelve years in.
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