As the new transitional government of Libya asserts itself in Tripoli over Muammar Gaddafi’s dying regime, Malta is expected to reap the benefits of a low key operation to help the rebels.
One of the focal points of such assistance was the Western city of Misurata, particularly during a three-month siege that cost the lives of an estimated 1,300 people.
The geography of the coastal city, surrounded by neighbouring Zlitan and Tawarga, then controlled by Col Gaddafi’s regime, meant the only help it could receive throughout the siege was via the sea and Malta proved to be a vital platform, being closer than the rebel capital of Benghazi.
This role is recognised by the National Transitional Council in Libya, which promised a special relationship with those countries that were proactive since the uprising.
“Malta proved to be of great help,” Suleiman Fortia, the NTC’s Misurata representative told The Times. “We communicated with Malta from day one and got the help we asked for. We appreciate this, a lot. I would like to take the opportunity to formally thank the Maltese people and the government.”
The government assisted with the evacuation of injured people but, more importantly, provided a logistical hub through which it facilitated regular ferries laden with medical supplies to and from Malta.
The Al Entisar, for instance, a fishing vessel owned by a person from Misurata and given to the NTC for this purpose, has been making two to three trips a week from Malta to Misurata for the past months without fail.
Most of this happened away from the spotlight amid fear that any news of assistance to the rebels would attract retribution from the regime.
“And in the future we look forward to good relations with the Maltese and the Maltese government. I’ve been to Malta recently and had meetings with Maltese officials,” Dr Fortia said.
The feedback by Dr Fortia and others at the Benghazi-based council contrasts with frequent criticism levelled at the response of the Maltese government, especially in the first months of the conflict. Dr Fortia says the NTC understands the government’s low-key approach. “We can understand this. We know Malta has business interests in Libya and also had Maltese nationals in Tripoli and that there was concern that any move might provoke a reaction from Gaddafi,” he said, pointing out that the authorities in neighbouring countries like Tunisia and Egypt were equally cautious given their proximity.
The NTC is making it a point to spread the message it will keep in mind the countries that helped when the Libyans needed it most.
The head of the council, Mustafa Abdel Jalil, told a news conference in Benghazi earlier this week: “We promise to favour the countries that helped us, especially in the development of Libya. We will deal with them according to the support they gave us.”
France and Britain, which lobbied Nato into action, are in pole position in this respect. Tahrir Square, in downtown Benghazi, is packed with posters thanking French President Nicolas Sarkozy, British Prime Minister David Cameron and US President Barack Obama. However, there also is a palpable sense of appreciation for the role played by their small neighbour.
The city, like most of the country, now looks forward to the rebuilding phase in the post-Gaddafi era. The medical needs persist but the future looks bright.
“Now Misurata is free and you can now drive from Misurata to Tripoli with no problem at all,” Dr Fortia noted.
The price paid for this freedom has been dear across the country but especially in Misurata. Besides the dead, it is estimated that about 5,000 people were injured and many thousands other displaced. But the defence of the city, Libya’s third largest, has been strategic in the effort to avoid a split between east and west, which Col Gaddafi was suspected to be planning.
“This is the cost of being one united Libya because... Gaddafi was heading to divide Libya in two. We knew this from day one and died for it... for the future of a united Libya in the future,” Dr Fortia added.