Libya’s rulers struggle to address issue of militias

Libya’s rulers are struggling to deal with thousands of civilian fighters who helped oust Muammar Gaddafi and remain organised in armed brigades but now want key roles in the new government.

The Thwars are those with a real force on the ground

Many of these young men left school or their jobs to fight against Colonel Gaddafi’s dictatorship and are still providing security in parts of the country, including at key sites like Tripoli’s international airport.

On Sunday, Libya’s ministers of defence, interior and planning detailed a scheme to register these former rebels, hoping to integrate many of them into the military or police.

Those who choose not to join the security services could be trained in other fields, possibly outside Libya, or simply return to their school or set up businesses backed with state aid.

Interior Minister Fawzi Abdelali said the plan was not a reward for helping topple a reviled autocrat, but stressed that these fighters are needed to fill “large gaps” within the new government’s security apparatus.

But yesterday, representatives of the Union of Libyan Thwars (revolutionaries), which claims to represent 70 per cent of these ex-rebels, stepped up their demands by calling on the ruling National Transitional Council (NTC) to grant them 40 per cent of its seats.

The Thwars “are the symbol of this revolution” and “are those with a real force on the ground”, said Fraj al-Soueihli from Misrata, the port city east of Tripoli that was besieged by Col Gaddafi’s men, as he affirmed the “loyalty” of the ex-rebels to the state and to the government.

The authorities, facing a barrage of demands from various groups following Col Gaddafi’s downfall, have so far proved reluctant to tackle the thorny issue of the militias, some of whom are heavily armed and do not intend to give up the gains they achieved during the revolution.