Has Younis Killing Weakened Libyan Rebels?
Opposition sympathisers acknowledge commander’s death was a setback but insist it has not affected morale.
Has Younis Killing Weakened Libyan Rebels?
Opposition sympathisers acknowledge commander’s death was a setback but insist it has not affected morale.
The assassination in Benghazi of Libyan general Abdel Fatah Younis, a former key member of the Gaddafi regime who defected to join the opposition in February, sent shockwaves through the rebel movement. With events surrounding his killing unclear, Omar Khattaly, spokesman of the Libyan Working Group, a veteran anti-regime campaigning body, looks at the possible consequences of his death.
Has a clearer picture emerged of the circumstances and motivation behind the killing?
Nobody really knows how or why General Abdel Fatah Younis was killed. There have been conflicting statements, even from within the National Transitional Council, NTC, with prominent members coming out with contradictory views. Many within the Libyan political community, both in and outside the country, think it was the work of extremist Islamists – an act of revenge for what Younis did to them during the period when he was interior minister, when many were jailed and tortured.
Another scenario is that Younis had been secretly in contact with members of the Gaddafi regime. Double agents do exist, working against the revolution and with Gaddafi. There are some sleeper cells in eastern Libya – for example, last week a 500-strong militia brigade known as Nida Libya was discovered to have turned against the opposition. The rebel forces engaged them in a fire-fight, killing more than 50 and taking the rest prisoner.
But there is no concrete evidence yet regarding Younis.
To what extent are the NTC struggling to cope with militias, their own troops and the jihadis?
It is a very chaotic situation in Libya, a state of war in fact, and there is no central power on either side. The question many are trying to answer is how Younis, a man in charge of opposition forces, could be killed with such ease. When he was asked to come back to Benghazi for questioning, he left his security entourage behind and took along just two aides, who were killed as well. But I am really surprised that more assassinations have not taken place due to the lack of security in Benghazi. The NTC has not done a good job of controlling the number of weapons in circulation and have indirectly given the green light for several forms of private militia, some religious-based, other nationalistic – which creates an unstable, volatile situation. Efforts had been undertaken by Younis himself to deal with this. He had issued an order demanding militias become part of the army – and many did agree, although many others didn’t, especially the Islamists.
Is there a danger that Younis’s killing will lead to further tribal rifts opening up?
The NTC have made two moves which helped calm the situation after the assassination. First, they put a high-ranking general, Suleiman Mahmoud Obeidi, in Younis’s place. He is from the same tribe as Younis, so this could help calm nerves. They also put a fact-finding mission together, with a very well known and respected judge in charge, to discover what happened. From what we hear from the family of the deceased - even though the culprit has not yet been found - they are satisfied with its progress.
What effect is this assassination likely to have on the morale of the opposition and the future of the Libyan revolution?
The information I get is that the Libyan regime is on its last legs. It has lost all legitimacy both inside the country and in the world. Gaddafi is in control of only 30 per cent of the country, and has been trying to take Misrata for six months, which he hasn’t managed. This assassination will definitely not boost morale on his side. I talk to friends and colleagues in Benghazi and they say the city is quiet, and morale is high.
And the recognition of the NTC by countries including the United States and the United Kingdom gives it more legitimacy and the ability to better manage its political and financial affairs, and helps it prepare for the post-Gaddafi era. Ultimately, this means more access to the frozen funds overseas. As a recognised government body, the NTC will have the ability to submit requests for this money. Indeed, a few days ago more than 295 million US dollars in Libyan funds in France were deposited in the NTC accounts in Benghazi.
This revolution was not about Younis. He did not lead the revolution - it was led by ordinary people. The fact that one man is out of the picture is regrettable, but that’s not what the revolution is about.
Daniella Peled is editor of IWPR's Arab Spring project.
