| ABC News | - |
Militias from a string of Libyan
cities left the capital, Tripoli, on Thursday, nearly a week after
militiamen killed more than 40 people protesting their presence in the
city.
Militias Pull out of Libya's Capital, Tripoli
Militias from a string of Libyan cities left the capital, Tripoli, on
Thursday, nearly a week after militiamen killed more than 40 people
protesting their presence in the city.
The withdrawal is a triumph for the residents of Tripoli, who on Nov.
15 held a mass protest against the militias, which have fueled
lawlessness nationwide since the 2011 fall of longtime dictator Moammar
Gadhafi.
The heavily armed groups, some of them led by Islamic extremists, have
defied control by the weak central government, carving out fiefdoms,
acting as a law unto themselves and imposing their control.
Witnesses said the militiamen gave their bases to army troops in
handover ceremonies before they headed out of the city. They kept their
weapons, mostly assault rifles, anti-aircraft guns mounted on pickup
trucks and rocket-propelled grenades. The militias that left come from
four cities, including Zentan to the south of Tripoli and Misrata to the
west.
Government moves to rein in militias, however, risk detonating an
explosive backlash leading to outright battles between the rival
militias. Since many of them are rooted in specific cities and act as
arms of political groups, any violence could pit city against city in
the already fragmented nation.
Libya's military swept into Tripoli on Monday in an operation to drive
out the militiamen. The troops met a warm welcome from Libyans seething
with anger against the numerous armed groups running rampant in the
country.
The sweep was the most assertive yet by the military, but the
government's armed forces and police remain weak and rely on allied
militias for firepower.
Prime Minister Ali Zidan on Thursday urged Libyans to respect their army
and police and heed their orders. He also said he intended to submit a
draft law to parliament that criminalizes the illegal possession of arms
— targeting unruly militias.
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