Tripoli’s rebels given deadline to lay down guns and leave town

LIBYAN authorities have given rebel militias a fortnight to hand over security in the capital and go home. The uncontrolled ownership of weapons has been a major

The uncontrolled ownership of weapons has been a major concern since the end of the eight-month civil war that toppled Muammar al-Gaddafi, and rival revolutionary militias who remain armed have clashed repeatedly in the capital.

“All individuals must give up their weapons and go back to civilian life or sign up with security forces with the ministries of defence or interior,” Abdel-Rafik Bu Hajjar, the head of Tripoli’s city council, said yesterday.

He gave them until 20 December to leave the capital and threatened to lockdown the capital if they did not comply, banning all traffic except vehicles from the interior and defence ministries.

He did not say how the interim government planned to persuade the militiamen to leave, or what would happen if they refused, but added there were plans to integrate them in state security forces if they wanted to.

Rebel groups from all parts of Libya stormed the capital in Aug-ust. Having transformed opulent homes of former regime figures, government buildings and public offices into brigade “headquarters”, and endowed with a sense of victorious entitlement, the militia are proving reluctant to return to civilian rule.

Hundreds of Tripoli residents protested against the continuing lawless behaviour of the gangs yesterday.

The attorney-general of Libya’s new government also said yesterday that armed men had dragged him from his car in broad daylight in Tripoli and threatened his life if he did not let one of their friends out of jail.

Abdel Azziz Al-Hassady said he escaped only by snatching a gun from one of the attackers.

Militias from the cities of Misrata and Zintan are among the most powerful armed groups inside the capital. As night falls the gangs have engaged in internecine feuds, with gunfire and blasts ringing out.

In the weeks since the end of the uprising, the groups have become increasingly separated into factions divided along secular and Islamist lines.

Analysts say the gangs have remained a strong presence in the capital and in other major Libyan cities, including in the revolutionary capital of Benghazi.

Their leaders are believed to want to convert their military muscle into political power in the new system of rule, which will be drawn up over the next seven months.

Critics say Fawzi Bukatif, a known Islamist who was supported by Qatar throughout the civil war, rose to become the head of the Rebel Union for the east of the country because of the number of well-armed militias under his command.

Mr Bukatif is advocating the creation of a “National Guard” for 40,000 former rebels.

The National Guard will protect borders and oil installations, he has said, but would also be given “privileges” not afforded to the armed forces, such as the right to be engaged in the country’s political system.