Gadafy deprived the area of its share of resources even though the biggest oilfields are located there, writes MARY FITZGERALD, Foreign Affairs Correspondent, in Benghazi
IT IS impossible to escape the word “federaliya” in eastern Libya these days. Last year, the voices of those arguing for federalism were relatively few and mostly lost in the clamour to rout Muammar Gadafy, but since the regime fell calls for such a system have grown louder.
Federalists have taken advantage of mounting popular frustration over the slow pace of change and accusations that Libya’s interim government, the National Transitional Council (NTC), has neglected the country’s oil-rich eastern flank since its move to Tripoli late last year. One of the main complaints here is that the region has been allocated just 60 out of 200 seats in Libya’s first elections which are scheduled for June.
This has served to sharpen an historical sense of grievance: Gadafy deprived the restive east of its share of resources even though the country’s two largest oilfields are located there.
“Under Gadafy the east got nothing for 42 years and very little has changed since he has gone,” said Abdul Rahim, a Benghazi resident in his twenties. “We need to run our own affairs to make sure we get what we deserve.”
Earlier this week up to 4,000 people gathered at a former soap factory on the outskirts of Benghazi, Libya’s second largest city and cradle of the uprising that ousted Gadafy, to declare a push for semi-autonomy for the region known as Cyrenaica, or Barqa in Arabic, which stretches from the central city of Sirte to the Egyptian border. “A federal system is the choice of [Cyrenaica], ” said attendees, who included a number of tribal elders and militia leaders, in a statement.
They said the meeting had resulted in the formation of “the interim council of Cyrenaica” to “manage the region’s affairs and defend the rights of its population.” Ahmed Zubair al-Senussi, a member of the NTC and relative of Libya’s former King Idris, was elected leader of the new entity which pledged to work within the framework of the council, which it said it considers “the symbol of the country’s unity, and its legitimate representative in international forums”.
The question of federalism is a controversial and emotive one as post-Gadafy Libya tentatively takes shape. Those who oppose such a move, including many in the east, fear it would ultimately result in the fragmenting of Libya as well as hampering reconciliation efforts. Even some who are favourably disposed believe this is not the right time, given the more pressing security-related challenges the country faces as it struggles to adapt to its new realities.
Demonstrations against federalism have taken place in several Libyan cities, including Benghazi, and banners emphasising national unity and stressing that Tripoli is the only capital can be seen across the country. The issue has dominated conversations in eastern Libya this week, with heated arguments between those in favour and against. The latter often note that several figures associated with this week’s declaration work in the oil industry, prompting speculation as to their motives.
“Who gives these people the right to claim to speak for all the people of the east?” asked Mohammed, a biochemist from the eastern town of Baida.
“Not everyone agrees with their agenda. I don’t want to see the breaking up of Libya.”
After gaining independence in 1951, Libya was run along federal lines for about a decade, with power devolved to Cyrenaica, the southern province of Fezzan, and Tripolitania in the west of the country. Centralisation began under then ruler King Idris, and the process was accelerated after Gadafy seized power in a 1969 coup.
Talk of federalism has made officials in Tripoli anxious. Speaking after the Benghazi announcement, head of the NTC Mustafa Abdel Jalil, who is from eastern Libya, said he would defend national unity “with force” if necessary. “We are not prepared to divide Libya,” he said as he urged those in the east pushing for autonomy to engage in dialogue and warned that they risked being manipulated by remnants of the Gadafy regime and foreign elements seeking to splinter the country. Earlier, Jalil had insisted calls for federalism did not have widespread support.
“Libyans fought for a united Libya so these clamours will be of no consequence,” he said.
Other senior figures in the interim government have highlighted plans for a programme of decentralisation instead. “We do not need federalism because we are heading towards decentralisation and we don’t want to go back 50 years,” Libya’s prime minister, Abdel Rahim el-Keeb, said on state TV on Monday. His remarks came after the interim government held an emergency session on Sunday to discuss a Bill proposing the principle of decentralisation.
Mohammed Buisir, a Libyan-American who helped organise the controversial meeting in Benghazi, said he expected the council would send someone to negotiate with the 300-strong self-declared Cyrenaica council.
“Our minimum demand right now is for more than 60 seats in the June elections,” he said.“No one can afford to ignore the issue of federalism.”