Editorial: Crisis in Libya Saturday, 28 January 2012 00:42

The relentless media focus on Syria in recent weeks has meant Libya isn’t getting the attention it deserves. The attention it deserves, because Libya deserves more attention to stop it from sliding into chaos and breakdown. What is happening in the country is not what the Arabs and the international community had expected. The new rulers in Tripoli need to be told to discharge their duties more responsibly and act with more determination and wisdom if Libya is not to plunge into chaos and mayhem.

When the National Transitional Council (NTC) took the reins in Tripoli after the killing of Muammar Gaddafi, there was a sense of complacency that the country would slowly find its feet and return to democracy at its own pace, even if flawed. But the developments since then have caused concern. The NTC has failed miserably in ensuring law and order, which can be achieved only by disarming the militias which are freely roaming the streets and by showing Libyans that they are fully in control. The UN has expressed its alarm over the failure of the Libyan government to disarm militias and also stop widespread torture of the thousands of people held in arbitrary detention. Not only the UN, dozens of independent organisations have expressed similar fear.

The world came to know of the seriousness of the situation when reports emerged that Bani Walid had fallen to Gaddafi supporters. According to the residents of Bani Walid, arrests, detention and torture by the militias were the reasons for the uprising. On Monday, fighters from the Warfallah tribe, the largest in Libya, attacked the barracks of the NTC forces in the town, killing four and freeing Gaddafi officials arrested as war crimes suspects. The Warfallah also appointed a new local council and claims it has been recognised by the NTC while anti-Gaddafi fighters have threatened to retake the town, setting the stage for another battle.

If torture and abuse is the reason which has driven Warfallah tribe to rebellion, it’s a situation the NTC could have avoided. The warning that rights abuses are rampant in the country also comes from Medicins San Frontieres, a medical charity, which has suspended its operations in detention centres in the city of Mistrata after encountering scores of torture victims.

Countries which have intervened in Libya militarily have a responsibility to make sure that its transition to democracy is smooth and complete. They have failed in piling adequate pressure on the NTC to restore order on the streets and also in guiding it to bring democracy.

As the focus shifts to Syria, Libya should not be left to undo the fruits of its revolution.