Libya: City of Bani Walid still under control of Gadaffi loyalists

Bani Walid south of Tripoli the Libyan capital was a Gadaffi stronghold. Although captured by rebels four months ago resentment has simmered ever since. The residents accuse the rebels of raiding homes, looting, and even torturing those seized.

About a month ago armed Gadaffi loyalists threw out the rebels freed prisoners from jail and set up their own local government. An attempt by the rebels to take back the town failed. The NTC has not as yet sent forces to free the city.

An article in Al Jazeera with a video shows the former mayor- imported from the U.S. by the way-- who lives in Tripoli with a number of ejected families. They are waiting for the government to retake the city and wreak revenge on the Gadaffi loyalists. The NTC may prefer to work with the new council in Bani Walid. So far the NTC has not moved to retake the city.

The central government still lacks central armed forces that are strong enough to deal with local militias. In many places it is the local militia that is the final authority as in Misrata.

Libya: Former Libya Ambassador to France tortured to death

   There are many independent militias in Libya and many are not under the control of the NTC the central government. According to Human Rights Watch Omar Brebesh who was ambassador to France from 2004 to 2008 had been brought in for routine questioning in Tripoli.
      Later his body showed up in a hospital in Zintan. The town is to the south-west of Tripoli and had been a hub of the revolution. His body was beaten, bruised and some toenails had been removed. His body was found by his son Ziad. Omar had still been working in the foreign ministry of the government at the time of his arrest for questioning.
   Photographs of  Omar's body show welts and bruising on the abdomen, cuts on both legs, and a large wound on the sole of one foot. Some toenails also appear to have been removed. Apparently a suspect has been arrested and confessed to the killing. This one happening is just the tip of the iceberg.
   The International Committee of the Red Cross says that there is evidence that at least 8,500 prisoners are being held by 60 different militias. Obviously the new government has a long way to go to bring these armed groups under central control. For more see this article.

Libya: Militias need to be disarmed before they start a civil war

  In a speech in Benghazi the chair of the Libyan National Transitional Council Mustafa Jalil said that there was a pressing need to disarm rebel militias that helped defeat Gadaffi. If the militias were not disarmed civil war or partition of Libya would develop.
    The chief of the Libyan military General Mangoush claims that the military is rebuilding bases and also acquiring newer weapons. He said that the military is determined to disarm the rebel militias.
   However, militia groups retain control of a number of regions and are loathe to give up their arms. Political power grows out of the barrel of a gun in many cases. Some major cities such as Misrata are under the control of militias. There has even been conflict between rival militias within neighborhoods in Tripoli. Now that Gadaffi is gone regional and tribal differences are surfacing within Libya making it difficult for the transitional government to unify the country. For more see this article.