Photo Credit: REUTERS/Esam Omran Al-Fetori
Libya’s army has declared a “state of alert” and ordered all troops to report for duty, according to Al Arabiya. The announcement came after the military clashed with the militant group Ansar al-Sharia in Benghazi. The clashes left at least nine soldiers dead on Monday. Clashes are ongoing, and Ayman Al-Warfalli of Reuters says gun battles erupted once more on Wednesday.
The Wall Street Journal reported that the clashes represent “a new offensive that marks a pivotal moment in the government’s attempt to consolidate its power.” The government announced the new offensive against militias after protests turned deadly when militia fired on unarmed protesters last week. The report indicates that “the government is banking on mounting public rage at the militias, which many refer to as ‘hundreds of little Gadhafis.’” The Minister of Justice Salah Marghani explained that “We can’t rely on force, the militias are strong and we don’t want another civil war. We are relying on citizens. We hope to build on the momentum started in Tripoli and spread it throughout the country. Our biggest weapon is civil society and the people. The mightiest power is the street.” However, violence is complicating the government’s plan, which seeks to integrate “231,000 militants operating across Libya into the national security forces by early 2014.”
Secretary of State John Kerry, after a meeting with with Libyan Prime Minister Ali Zeidan and UK Foreign Minister William Hague, commented on the violence: “ this is a moment of opportunity where there’s a great deal of economic challenge, there’s a great deal of security challenge. And we talked with the Prime Minister today about the things that we can do together – the United Kingdom and the United States and other friends – in order to help Libya to achieve the stability that it needs.”
The Economist argues that recent violence has created an opportunity to decrease the influence of the militias: “The government, led by Ali Zeidan, may have a rare if fleeting chance of taking the initiative. One key element of this oportunity is that “the Libyan Shield, hitherto the most powerful of the militias, both in Misrata and in the country at large” is among the retreating forces from Triploi.
In related news, Ahram Online reported, “Libya has deported more than 500 African immigrants, state news agency Lana said, sending them to Niger as it tries to tackle an influx of refugees and Islamist militants.”