By Ahmed Khalifa, a Libyan journalist
Is it not time for Cyrenaica to disengage from Haftar?
The Cyrenaicans failed miserably in betting on a military solution to the crisis in the country. This led to the defeat of the will of Cyrenaicans, who rallied behind Khalifa Haftar for years, believing that he had a sincere will to combat what he called terrorism at the time, while he and his militias practiced various types of terrorism and before the very eyes and ears of the world, starting from displacement and the demolition of homes, to mass liquidations and unprecedented massacres in the history of Libya, leading to the burial of the victims in mass graves, but what became clear later, and after years of bloodshed and wars in Cyrenaica, that Haftar was nothing but a mad aspirant for power, and Cyrenaica was only a bridge that he and his sons used to pass over to achieve their ambitions.
Haftar turned into an executioner for Cyrenaica, there is no difference between him and Graziani. Haftar did not give Cyrenaica anything but killing its sons and cutting off the limbs of those who remained alive after he used them as cheap firewood to ignite and fuel the fires of his wars, and after that he incited his sons to rule Cyrenaica.
The Cyrenaican political, military and security decisions are now completely dependent on Haftar and his sons. Even the legislative decision is hijacked and is not issued by the House of Representatives in a way that gives the decision its legislative value. So much so, that decisions are issued from Aqila’s setting room at his Qubah town home, upon instructions from Hafter or his sons. The legislative institution -which should work in accordance with international standards as it is the case for such institutions - really does not exist in Libya in this sense. Members of the House of Representatives have no value whatsoever in the face of influence of Haftar and tyranny of his sons, they are mere cheap puppets for this family, which believes that it is the only one capable of leading Libya and its army.
In a session that took place in a regional country concerned with the Libyan crisis - if the description is correct - Aqila told his interlocutors that he would not leave the Presidency of the House of Representatives until Libya is stabilized. He said that, yet he is unable to run a legislative institution according to the traditions and customs that regulate such institutions, as he runs his sessions through swindling.
What is the solution?
To overcome its pain and get rid of its shackles, Cyrenaica needs a brave political project that will pull it out of the Haftarian quagmire that drowned it in blood. Cyrenaica must be freed from its tormentor and overthrow him and rid itself of his chains and those of his sons, and to present to Libya a real project for stability instead of projects of war and killing. There are Cyrenaicans, regardless of their origins, whether they are from Cyrenaica, or from the south or west of the country - who can create a project for stability that brings together Libyans after years of displacement and Haftarian oppression.
What we can describe as the Cyrenaica grievance, the outcry of the pro-federal system extremists or the ultra- extremists of those calling for the division of Libya in particular, has become an illusion that many of them are resorting to, and indeed fleeing forward from confronting Haftar, his sons and gangs that seized the capabilities of Cyrenaica and turned it into a mere large warehouse for collecting scrap and transforming its seaports and airports to mere outlets for bringing refugees from Africa and Asia and smuggling drugs and oil, with instructions of international mafias.
Lost Benghazi!
Benghazi, the vibrant city in Cyrenaica, has become just a miserable and worthless city in the equation of Libyan political action, in which Haftar and his sons do whatever they want. Its name is associated with killings, wars, and with the shar’a al-ziet (Oil Street), after it was in a time ago a leader of change and an important piece in the Libyan chessboard. If a change takes place from Benghazi, and its giant rises from captivity, then Cyrenaica has nothing but to listen and follow on its footsteps, after it gets rid of its tormentors who stripped it of everything and turned it into a mere large prison where tyrants sit in front of its gates.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer, and do not necessarily reflect those of the Libya Observer