Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/350843
maltatoday, WEDNESDAY, 23 JULY 2014 News 6 MaltaToday takes a look at the situation on the ground in Libya, with warring militias terrorising Tripoli neighbourhoods while inflation and scarcity of basic goods hit the country Libya, a scarcit JURGEN BALZAN During the 2011 revolution in Lib- ya thousands of women and men, mostly young Libyan citizens, lost their lives as they chose democracy over dictatorship. Or at least, they died in an attempt to overthrow Gaddafi's regime. Many, including western leaders, thought the bloody conflict would herald a new era of freedom and democracy after 42 years of Gadd- afi rule. However, as European his- tory has taught us, the transition between tyranny and democracy could be as bloody and prolonged as the Reign of Terror at the end of the 18th century, two world wars in the 20th century and all the conflicts in between. Following the advent of the Arab Spring, the Mediterranean has had no respite, with violence in Egypt, Libya, Syria and now Gaza, and the migration crisis, all exposing the fragility of the region. The prevailing situation in Libya has once again proved that equal- ity, justice and freedom cannot be achieved unless the political process involves and gives space to citizens from all walks of life. In the vacuum created in the af- termath of Gaddafi's downfall, the political process which comes in the shape of elections and parliamen- tary democracy in the west, took the form of an on-going conflict be- tween armed militias divided along regional and tribal lines. The battle for the airport Although Libya is not at war, the feeling on the ground is no differ- ent to that of three years ago. Over the weekend, thousands of residents fled their homes in Tripoli as fight- ing reached the capital's residential zones. During the fierce battle for the Tripoli International Airport last week, up to 47 persons were killed in the deadliest fighting since the end of the 2011 revolution that toppled Gaddafi. On Monday, the Zintan militia group which has controlled the air- port since the end of the revolution claimed victory over the Misrata- led Operation Dawn force that tried to dislodge them from the airport. The destruction of aircraft in the fighting, which began on 13 July, has cost an estimated €1.5 billion. Now that the attack on the airport has subsided, the Misrata forces are making inroads in residential areas around the airport , using tanks to pound the Zintanis, who in turn re- spond with shells and anti-aircraft fire. Sources in Tripoli have told Mal- taToday that although the heavy fighting has not reached the centre, the outskirts of Tripoli are burning. However, the situation is very fluid as different militias who pre- viously controlled different areas of the capital, have now entered direct confrontation and reports and foot- age on the social media sites show fighters shooting cannons and mis- siles in roads which up to a few days ago were bustling with normality. According to rumours surfacing on Twitter and Facebook, warring militias are gunning down civilians according to their regional identity, however this has not been officially confirmed. This has led to thousands of resi- dents to flee the capital while third country nationals, including Mal- tese citizens have either made their way out or are actively seeking an escape route following the closure of the international airport. In the absence of central govern- ment troops, Libya's foreign min- ister, Muhammad Abdul Aziz has asked the UN Security Council to send military advisers to bolster state forces guarding ports, airports and other strategic locations. The President of Congress, Nuri Abu Sahmain, has convened an emergency session to debate the request, however in a statement, he said that foreign intervention is "un- acceptable". With airspace closed to most inter- national flights, foreigners continue to flee on the few available flights or through the only accessible land border with Tunisia. Over the past week, hundreds have been arriving at the military airport in Mitiga, just outside Tripoli, in an attempt to board one of the few flights which are currently available. Evacuation plans Medavia, the Malta-based compa- ny, has been operating daily flights as Maltese and third country nation- als are seeking a way out of Libya. However, with a few exceptions, most European countries have taken a cautious stand and in an attempt to avoid creating panic, embassies are advising third nationals to stay put for the time being. However, other countries such as Turkey and the Philippines have fol- lowed the UN in evacuating their staff, joined at the weekend by oil company workers from French oil company Total, Italy's ENI and Spain's Repsol. America has an aircraft carrier stationed offshore in case it decides to evacuate its diplomats from the fortified embassy in Tripoli, where staff took to shelters on Sunday as shells fell around the walls. The international community, in- cluding the Maltese government, hopes, perhaps in vain, that the violence will fade away once the new parliament convenes and once Prime Minister Abdullah Al-Thinni takes full control of the situation. However, by then it might be too late. Inflation and shortages Sources in Tripoli told MaltaTo- day that the cost of basic items, from food to fuel, have shot up in a matter of days. To make matters worse, the clo- sure of roads and the scarcity of fuel has blocked the transportation of goods to the capital. Sources told MaltaToday that this week the price of one litre of fuel has gone up from less than a quarter of a Libyan dinar (€0.10) to five di- nars. The price hike and scarcity of fuel has led to people being unable to travel to work, with one resident telling MaltaToday that the streets of the capital are mostly empty. Inflation, goods shortages and fre- quent power cuts have made Tripoli residents' lives "miserable" as one woman from central Tripoli put it. "Before 11am the streets are de- serted, as people are scared to wan- der in the roads or go to work. If you have fuel in your car tank and dare go to work, you have to be back home by 2pm or 3pm. The situation is getting worse, day after day," the woman told MaltaToday. Moreover, there is a scarcity of mobile top up cards, internet cards and gas cylinders, which have shot up from around 15 dinars to 100 di- nars. Al Ansar brigades People outside Mitiga Rockets in neighbourhood around Tripoli airport