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issue 05
Libyan Celebrations demonstrate signs of progress as the New Libya faces up to the challenges of building a Nation
Ibrahim A. El Mayet Tripoli 18.02.2013
Contents
P1 - P3 Feature
Libyan Celebrations demonstrate signs of progress as the New Libya faces up to the challenges of building a Nation
P4 International Perspective
Lufthansa and Austrian Airlines denied permission to resume Libya flights Libya to host 10th Arab Energy Conference Bilateral relations between Libya and UAE in tourism sector Libya requests technical cooperation to assist with border security threat Bright future for Libyan-South Korean business relations
P5 Regional Focus
On the second anniversary of Libyas Feb17 revolution, Libyans yet again defied the doomsayers as tens of thousands of Libyans in towns and cities across the country took to the streets to celebrate the anniversary in distinctly Libyan style.
The weeks leading up to the anniversary became increasingly tense as expectations of violent demonstrations and disorder rose particularly amongst
international stakeholders. Intelligence reports prompted International governments including the UK, Germany and France to pull their nationals out of Libyas second city Benghazi. The decision by international airlines including Lufthansa, Austrian, and Alitalia to cancel flights in the run up to the anniversary further dented confidence amongst international companies with many pulling staff out of Libya, and business travellers cancelling scheduled trips. Recent events in Mali and Algeria have compounded the
P6 - P8 Feature
Mixed picture from Benghazi on second anniversary of the revolution by Mohamed Eljarh
2013 Budget, Economy outlook, Benghazi Economic Council, Ministry of Labour Training Centres, Aviation Tobruk Airport, Oil & Gas Wintershall output, New discovery in Ghadames Basin, 2012 crude exports, Transport Projects to restart, Agriculture Irish cattle exports to Libya.
Mervet Mhani FGM / Ministry of Martyrs & Missing Dr. Guma El-Gamaty Taghyeer Party Founder Nader El Gadi Martyrs Square Media
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Tripoli residents celebrate by taking to the streets, above buildings in crowded Gumhoriya Street still bear the scars of the 2011 conflict. Page 1
Beny al Ahmer Street, Hay al Andalus, Tripoli, Libya T: +218 (0) 21 711 04 30 E: info@ie-consultancy.com Skype: ieconsultancylibya
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situation exposing the weakness of Libyas infamously porous borders and raising concerns about stability across the region. The Libyan government took pre-emptive action announcing the closure of Libyas borders and all airports except for Tripoli and Benghazi from the 14th 18th February and stepping up security in towns and cities across Libya. The fact that they were able to do this effectively is itself a sign of the progress being made by the Zidan government since taking office in November. The check points set-up in Tripoli were more organised and manned increasingly by more confident and better equipped police and army personnel and less by militiamen. Even planned protests in Benghazi had a largely celebratory tone although they did deliver a serious message to Libyas recently elected interim government that it is time for action! The decision by Benghazi federalists to cancel a planned rally for the 15th February (marking the day the revolution started in Benghazi in 2011) due to concerns it could be high jacked by extremist elements helped maintain peace. Many Libyans have been frustrated by the slow progress since the liberation of Libya; discontent is particularly rife in the East where many people feel that they are again being marginalised by the Government. Although the recent visits to Benghazi by Prime Minister Ali Zidan and Head of Congress Mohamed Magarief had a positive impact, Libyas new government has only been given a temporary reprieve as calls for a serious plan to tackle the security situation and improve the local economy are mounting along with demands from Benghazi for the return of national institutions
newly trained members of Libyas Special Forces Police keeping order at checkpoint in Ben Ashour, Tripoli during the celebrations on 16th February.
which were originally founded in Benghazi including the National Oil Corporation and Libyan Airlines. Reading all the negative press coverage of Libya in recent weeks, I found myself sitting in the relative calm of Tripoli wondering whether they knew something we didnt! The approaching anniversary felt like another make or break moment for Libya. So it was with some trepidation that I went out on the anniversary armed with my camera (which got me into trouble
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a couple of times last year) only to be met by the now familiar festivities which marked the first anniversaries of the start of the revolution in February 2011, the liberation of Tripoli in August and the liberation of the Country in October 2011. Joining the traffic on the streets with the constant cacophony of car horns, fireworks and music blasting out of cars and speakers set-up for impromptu street parties is such a buzz, the atmosphere is electric. If only all traffic jams were that much fun! Everywhere you looked people were dancing and the sky was full of fireworks and lanterns.
is way behind schedule, national reconciliation and dealing with current human rights abuses and discrimination including the displacement of minorities like the people of Twargah, implementing the rule of law and a strong judiciary, improving the standards of Libyas healthcare and education systems, restarting stalled infrastructure projects and developing new ones, effecting solid business regulations and meaningful policies for economic development and diversification to provide new sources of income and employment, tackling corruption and fraud, the list goes on. A New Libya will not be built in a day, I dont think the revolution has succeeded yet, but I still believe that it can.
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International Perspective
Lufthansa and Austrian Airlines denied permission to resume Libya flights 21.02.2013 Despite being ready to resume flights to Libya, Lufthansa and Austrian Airlines, which had suspended flights to Tripoli on 5th February citing security concerns, have been denied permission to recommence flights. Speaking to the Libya Herald an official at Tripoli airport said that Lufthansas and Austrian Airlines flights would be blocked for at least a week. A spokesperson for Lufthansa told the Libya Herald that The aviation authorities are working on restoring our flight plan and traffic rights, and we need to await their approval. Bilateral relations between Libya and UAE in tourism sector 12.02.13 UAE Ambassador met with Libyas tourism minister in Tripoli to discuss bilateral relations between the two countries in an effort to further strengthen ties between the two countries. Looking at investment in tourism and hoping to benefit from UAEs wealth of experience in the field could lead to large benefits for both Arab countries.
Libya requests technical cooperation to assist with border security threat 14.02.13 Meeting with French President, Francois Hollande, the day after a Ministerial Conference in Paris which took place on 12th February, Libyan PM, Ali Zidan stated that Libya needed technical cooperation to help the country solve the growing security threat posed by inadequate border control. The Ministerial Conference which included representatives from Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Malta, Qatar, Spain, Turkey, the UAE, the UK and the USA as well as the African Union, the Arab Maghreb Union, the EU, the Gulf Cooperation Council, the Arab League and the UN focused on security concerns, particularly in securing Libyas borders. Libya shares international borders with six countries, Egypt, Sudan, Chad, Niger, Algeria and Tunisia measuring some 6,000 kilometres. A statement issued after the talks said an EU mission to help better border management would be deployed by June. The next Ministerial Libya Support conference will be held in Italy.
Bright future for Libyan-South Korean business relations 19.02.13 It is believed that a Korean delegation next week will discuss with Libyas Chamber of Commerce and Industry ways to improve small to medium sized development projects and showing how Korea managed to incorporate its medium to small sized enterprises to achieve this. This is another example of cooperation between the two countries. Last week Young Cook, South Koreas Ambassador to Libya, stated that cooperation between the two countries should not and will not be limited to just the oil and gas sector and the selling of cars, but instead would potentially cover all sectors of the market. It has been estimated that contracts between the two countries already value over a billion LYD and that figure could increase considerably over the coming year.
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Regional Focus
Egypt Despite reopening on Tuesday the Egyptian border crossing was blocked on Tuesday by Egyptians protesting at new Libyan visa regulations. According to Egyptian newspaper Al-Masry Al-Youm protestor in the Egyptian border town of Sollum, are preventing Libyan nationals from entering Egypt and stopping goods vehicles from crossing the border in either direction. They are threatening to continue their blockade until new visa rules are revoked. The significant buildup of traffic at the border resulting from the five day closure imposed by Libya for the anniversary of the revolution has been compounded by the on-going blockade by Egyptian protestors.
www.albanyassociates.com
PROVIDING COMPREHENSIVE COMMUNICATIONS STRATEGIES AND SOLUTIONS IN CHALLENGING AND TRANSITIONAL ENVIRONMENTS
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majority of Cyrenaicas (Barqa in Arabic) population. Such claims consultancy+ are affirmed by the recent visit to Benghazi by the de facto head of state Mohamed Magariaf and the Prime Minister Ali Zeidan. During the visit both Magariaf and Zeidan held meetings with federalists and other political and civil society forces in Benghazi. After the visit, federalists cancelled their calls for protests and civil disobedience, and allowed more time for the authorities to respond to their demands with actions on the ground. The group has now set March 30, 2013 as the deadline for the authorities response to their demands. The upcoming constitution will address these tricky issues of decentralization, federalism and the sharing of wealth and power. On the economic front, Benghazi is taking steps to realise the vision of becoming Libyas economic and business hub. The most recent move was when businessmen and political leaders in Benghazi approved a proposal to set up an organisation to promote the citys economic growth. Plans are being drawn up to build a free trade zone and proposed public works projects to provide jobs, and help tackle the high levels of unemployment in the region. The local economy in Benghazi is already focusing on business areas
Feature continued
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Feature continued
such as cement, and cable and steel pipe factories, as well as oil services, but foreign investments and partnerships are badly needed. A number of large-scale projects have already restarted in Benghazi including the building of a temporary passenger terminal at the airport until the citys new airport is ready. In addition, a Turkish contractor is currently building a three-tower administrative and residential complex. Clearly, the city is working hard to improve its infrastructure and prepare for potential influx of foreign companies and investment.
interests and organizations. The horrible tragedy of the attack on the US mission in Benghazi left a lasting negative impact on the citys image in the west. The new Minister of Interior is currently implementing phase two of his security plan, which entails normalizing the role of the national police and army. Unlicensed weapons carried in public would be confiscated and owners prosecuted. Cars with tinted windows or without number plates would be stopped and confiscated. Finally, the fact that celebrations and protests in Benghazi to
Benghazi benefits from its strategic location, an educated population and a wealth of entrepreneurial spirit among its people. Despite the efforts on the ground, to revive Benghazi as an economic and business hub; many acknowledge that security remains a priority and a huge concern for foreign investors and companies. The security situation in Benghazi is steadily improving, after months of security vacuum, with assassinations targeting prominent security officials. In addition, the attacks of western
mark the second anniversary of the revolution went by without any major security incidents is a clear indication that the security situation is improving and the government plans are working. Moreover, according to the government plans, the year 2013 would be the year when security throughout Libya is improved significantly.
Mohamed Eljarh is a UK based Libyan academic researcher and political, social development activist. He is from the city of Tobruk in Eastern Libya. Follow him on Twitter @Eljarh or email to: mohamed.eljarh@gmail.com
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frustrated population. No breakdown of this years budget has yet to be disclosed, although in addition to Libyas enormous subsidies, electricity, water and roadworks are expected to feature strongly in the governments spending plans.
Business in Brief
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Libyas LYD 66 billion 2013 budget will be subjected to further review in Congress
20.02.2013 After announcing earlier this month that Libyas budget for the next year will be 66 billion LYD (slightly lower than the LYD68.5 billion set in 2012 which remains largely unspent), the GNC has announced that the budget will be referred to its various specialised committees for further review and consultation with Ministries after the review by the Finance Committee on Tuesday was inconclusive. After last years massive underspend, approximately 61% more than LYD41 billion remains unused as a result of inactivity rather than over-budgeting, it is clear that swift action is required to meet the demands of an increasingly
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New Benghazi Economic Ministry of Labour Council will be formed to approves more than 100 foster economic growth internal training centres 12.02.13 in the region 18.02.13
Abdurazaq Altentan, Minister of Labour, has announced that Political leaders and businessmen have agreed on a proposal to help support the growth of Benghazis economy. Receiving unanimous support from a range of organisations and businessmen, the new Benghazi Economic Council will have a 14 strong committee tasked with setting the council up. The aim of the council is to support the economic growth of the region, identifying sustainable opportunities and offering a forum for all to voice their ideas and concerns. that the Ministry has approved more than 100 training centres to be established across Libya. Altentan, who is waiting for the budget to be approved following the completion of the Ministries complete training plan for 2013, said that these training centres will be free for all Libyans.
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Serving the Libyan OiL induStry
For enquiries please contact us on: +218 (0) 217178216 - info@zenoilfield.com
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18.02.03
Libyas National Oil Company (NOC) and Algerian state owned Sonatrach have discovered a new oil field containing 8,200 barrels per day and a natural gas deposit with a capacity of 1,700 cubic meters per day. They have not issued a time frame for development.
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The Interview
Mervat Mhani
Member of the activist group Free Generation Movement (FGM)
For this weeks issue, to mark the second anniversary of the start of the Feb17 revolution which brought about the end of the Gaddafi regime and the liberation of Libya in October 2011, we spoke to three inspiring Libyans who, after taking part in the Libyan revolution have continued to take an active role in shaping Libyas future. For each of them the revolution has had a profound influence on the lives they now lead in the new Libya.
First we visited Mervat Mhani, a member of the activist group Free Generation Movement (FGM), in her office at the Ministry of Martyrs & the Missing where she has been working since December 2011 in the International Relations department following up on the file of the missing, a cause which she and her peers at FGM have supported since the Revolution. LBW: What were you doing before the revolution? MM: I was not involved in politics or Libya; I was just taking care of my two daughters. The revolution changed a lot of peoples perspective on Libya; and given us a chance to make our country better for the next generation. LBW: How did you get involved in the revolution, what were you doing during the Uprising? MM: I was part of the Free Generation Movement (FGM) which was founded by my brother and cousin, in the early days we focused on getting information out, no information was getting out of Tripoli and people had the impression that the city was pro-Gaddafi. We tried to raise moral and awareness through civil disobedience, we made flag drops, smuggled journalists LBW: You went on to join the Ministry of Martyrs & Missing, what is your role there? MM: After the liberation [October 2011] FGM turned its attention to many projects, I was working on the missing, trying to create a database of people who had gone missing from prisons, hospitals and cities across Libya. We collected 900 names registered both online and manually on forms. In December 2011 we and other out of the Rixos, played the National Anthem through speakers in Fashloom [a district in Tripoli], and we managed to establish an internet connection after it was cut which allowed us to send out messages. We didnt think about the consequences, I dont remember being scared at the time, it was a duty.
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NGOs working on the missing including the Libyan Association for the Missing held a demonstration outside the Prime Ministers office in Tripoli asking for an entity to be established to followup on the cases of the missing. In December 2011 the Ministry of Martyrs and Missing was formed with assistance from civil society, most of the staff are NGO members, all NGOs submitted their databases of missing people. I joined the Ministry to work on International relations; I had previously worked in the US embassy for 5 years. We are also supporting this cause through the FGM Mafqood Project [www.mafqood.org] advocating for the families of the missing, supporting them to set-up associations. We are working with International organisations which have worldwide experience including International Commission on Missing Persons ICMP which has 17 years experience working on cases including Balkans, Iraq and Hurricane Katrina; the International Committee of the Red Cross ICRC and Physicians for Human Rights PHR. We have advocated for funds for them to come to Libya to build capacity and technical teams and evidence collection, each mass grave is a crime scene. It is important to support Libyan ownership of the project building capacity for the long term. Some people [locally] criticize international funding when Libya is rich but we want more to be done and we need the expertise.
Things are moving at a slow pace and families are still suffering, some know where their relatives are buried but cannot collect the remains. The Ministry is collecting reference samples from families for identification. Not much is being done on psychosocial care for families; they have no closure, no peace of mind. The case of Martyrs is different, the families have some closure, and they can go on Hajj. Families of the missing go through the pain every day. At the rate we are going this will take years, families will have to wait for years and that is very sad. At FGM we will start advocating for psychosocial support for families and for the creation of families associations so they feel some ownership, the government and the GNC [General National Congress] will change but the family associations will be constant. LBW: What is the remit of the ministry? MM: The mandate of the ministry is to deal with all Libyan families of the martyred and the missing, we are not dealing with perpetrators, we deal with families. It is not allowed by our religious or humanitarian values to discriminate. We are dealing with those who are missing in Libya, not just Libyans or revolutionaries. The Ministry has been discriminating, they have been paying allowances of LYD1,000 per month to families of the thooar [revolutionaries] since 2011, but stopped payments
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The Interview
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with about 90 people present and the ideas for the political party started to develop. We came out of that meeting with a steering committee, and then on 15th May 2012 we officially launched Taghyeer Party in Tripoli. Work commenced afterwards to set up branches and offices in 10 cities across Libya and the process is still on-going. Taghyeer Party is a nationalist party, it does not draw from the support of any fundamentalist groups and it is not a secular party. It is a mainstream, moderate party that respects the conservative nature of the Libyan society and respects Libyan heritage culture and most of all respects Libyas Islamic religious values. LBW: What are the main aims for the Party now? GE: The Party is still in a founding stage, we are working hard to attract more members, we have already reached almost 5000 we hope to attract many more and set up offices and branches in every city and area. LBW: do you think Libya has made progress since its Liberation? GE: Yes, definitely, slow progress; slow, frustrating, but steady progress, we are in a transitional phase which is by no means easy, we hope we can build a national consensus and strong will so that we as Libyans will make it to a constitutional state that is based on rule of law and democracy. LBW: Where do you think the short fallings have been? And what are the major challenges? GE: The main short comings have been the slow pace of rebuilding vital institutions including police, army and security.
Also dealing the challenge of collecting arms which are widespread, and achieving a national reconciliation. LBW: What is the partys stance on business and the economy? Would you implement any specific policies? GE: Our vision for Libya is still evolving, we are developing our political programme and we believe firmly in the free choice for Libyans to engage in any legal business activity and we believe in the vital role of the private sector. A new prospering Libya can only be built through a partnership between the state and the private sector where the state is curtailed and many business and commercial activities left to the private sector which does things very well compared to the government. Also we must address the nature of our economy which has been a rentier economy relying mainly on natural resources of oil and gas; we badly need to diversify our economy to create a productive economy. LBW: What about the role of international companies? GE: International companies have a major role to play in reconstructing Libya and helping Libya to achieve its development goals because they have the technology and expertise that are vitally needed. This has to be done through proper and fair partnership between Libyan and international companies so Libyans can benefit from expertise of international companies. The gains and benefits have to be mutual between Libya and its international partners. I strongly advice international companies to come and visit Libya to survey the market, establish contacts and develop relationships with local players.
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The Interview
Nader El Gadi
Photographer and co-founder of Martyrs Square Media (MSM) Finally we caught up with Nader El Gadi a highly regarded local photographer who honed his craft after taking part in the liberation of Tripoli in August 2011 as a member of the Tripoli Brigade. Since swapping his weapon for a camera, Nader cofounded Martyrs Square Media (MSM) to share photography and raise awareness about social issues in Libya. MSM have recently gone into business and have ambitious plans for the future of the Company. LBW: What were you doing before the revolution? NG: I was just an ordinary guy like any young Libyan. I had some issues which meant I had to leave school and start working. I always loved photography and football; I got arrested twice for taking pictures at a football match. The second time was serious, I was taken by some guys who were from Gaddafis security but they were also Ahli supporters [the opposing team] so they decided to give me a hard time. I was badly beaten up and taken to the police station, they held me for about six hours interrogating me and taking my picture to make a criminal record. They told me I would have no future in Libya. It was true, it made it impossible for me to get an official job, you could with wasta [influence] but I had no wasta. After this I went to the UK to study English and take a foundation course, I got an offer from a Uni but I couldnt take it, I didnt have enough money and couldnt get a scholarship even though they accepted others from tribes close to Gaddafi. After that I hated the regime, I went back to Libya in 2010 and started working to save money for Uni in the UK. Before I went to the UK I didnt really know anything about the crimes of the Regime because nobody told us. I didnt know about the flag [Libyas tri-colour independence flag which Gaddafi replaced with the infamous solid green]. When I came back I told people what I knew, many people my age didnt know about this. I didnt believe the Libyans would revolt, but then the revolution started and I knew it was my chance to change my future.
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When I was in the mountains it was the first time I had handled a video camera, I saw such beautiful scenes in the morning and at sunset. I saw pictures in my mind. I had never seen mountains or such beautiful landscapes, I wanted to take pictures. My father was a photographer and artist. So I took his camera and went to Martyrs Square. I came up with Martyrs Square Media as a place to share pictures, I hooked up with a couple of friends doing the same thing and realised this was my path; I wanted to be a photographer. I went to every protest and event and started taking pictures; people started hiring me to take pictures. Because I am an activist I covered protests, we decided to set-up an NGO but then we also launched a business. We have a charity
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Photographs from the Old city, central Tripoli below main: showing derelict housing, whilst in the background a very different Tripoli. Below: children living in the Old city stand in front of their family home.
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