Tripoli port as well as Mitiga airport closed as Ghararat fighting

Clashes continued today in Tripoli’s Ghararat district near Mitiga airport and next to Suq Al-Juma despite an announcement by the Rada (“Deterrence”) forces of Abdul Rauf Kara that they had contained the situation and were in full control of the area.

This afternoon, Tripoli port was closed by militiamen and, with it, the Corniche from Busetta to past the Radisson Blu Mahari hotel, as well as other streets in the area. “They weren’t Rada”, one driver who had been forced to take a different route told the Libya Herald. “They were civilians with Kalashnikovs.” Elsewhere, though, there were large numbers military forces patrolling the downtown area.

Although it had been operating during the day apart from four flights which had to be cancelled, Mitiga airport was also again closed late this afternoon, with passengers and staff evacuated for their safety. Heavy firing could be heard and, according to an airport statement, the fighting was all around the airport, not just at Ghararat. Incoming flights were diverted to Misrata and it was hoped that the airport would reopen tomorrow, Wednesday,

In clashes earlier in the day, one of Rada’s top commanders was killed. Numeri Mohamed Al-Jamil, who was said by the force to have taken a prominent role in tackling local drug dealers and other criminals, died instantly when his vehicle was hit by an RPG. At that point, Rada had already declared the Ghararat area a military zone, ordering people to stay off the streets for their safety, and saying that it had arrested a number of “criminals” there.

Reports of homes in the area being hit by missiles and of six people being killed as a result of the fighting have not been confirmed. What is also not fully clear is the relationship between those whom Rada is fighting.

Ghararat has had a reputation of being somewhere to avoid and home to drugs dealers and the like, and certainly it is thought that some of its residents involved in such activities have reason to dislike Rada and want to attack it. However, yesterday, in a move that was presented as being to be linked to the fighting, Rada announced that it had prevented an attack in Tripoli by a pro-Qaddafi group from the south but now based in the Wirshefana area and consisting mainly of mercenaries. Among those it says were arrested were Al-Mabruk Juma Sultan Ahnish, from the south of the country, and Rifqa Al-Sudani, also apparently known as Imam Daoud Mohamed Al-Faki.

The latter was said to be Ahnish’s driver and supposedly a member of Sudan’s rebel Justice and Equality Movement, although some sources have expressed doubts about this, suggesting that Al-Faki is also Libyan. They were arrested in the Wirshefana area by local Rada forces there and sent to Tripoli.

To further complicate matters, the brother of Al-Mabruk Ahnish, Khalifa Ahnish, a member of the Magarha tribe, last night threatened to stop the Man-Made River water supply to Tripoli if Al-Mabrouk were not freed within 72 hours. In a video made inside one of the pumping stations on the line, he specifically threatened to burn it as well as close down gas pipelines from the south and the Tripoli-Sebha road.

In the same context, The head of the Libyan National Army, Field Marshal Khalifa Hafter has set up a central operations room to coordinate the activities of all others. Based in Benghazi, it is to be headed by Major-General Wanis Bukhamada, commander of Saiqa Special Forces.

Promoted to major-general last month, he is assisted by Brigadier Mohamed Al Magrous, the head of military intelligence, Brigadier Ahmed Salem of the Control Commission, Colonel Faraj Al-Zbu, head of the military police and military prisons, and Colonel Salah Hwaidi, the former head of Benghazi security directorate and still head of criminal investigation authority in the region.

Also on the new body will be the deputy interior minister, the new body will also have representatives from the military in Benghazi, the Control Commission, the intelligence services, the Central Security Authority, the Criminal Investigation Authority and the Counterterrorism Authority. Although approved on 11 October, the announcement was made only today.

On the other hand, Differences between members of the Joint Drafting Committee in charge with amending the Skhirat Agreement have hampered discussions between the two Libyan sides representing Parliament and the High State Council, amid mutual accusations of “refusing to deal with the political agreement.”

The disputes threatened to impede the negotiations, which kicked off on Sunday, after the withdrawal of Parliament’s representatives from the committee’s meeting on Monday evening. “The reason for their withdrawal is the insistence of the High State Council’s dialogue committee not to resolve controversial issues and to return to points and understandings that have already been resolved,” said Abdul Salam Nasieh, the head of Parliament’s delegation.

The High State Council responded by saying that no amendments were originally requested. “The House of Representatives [Parliament] is the one that refused to deal with the political agreement and insisted on its amendment. “Now Parliament has to submit written notes of their points of objection.” The Council’s representatives said in a statement issued at dawn on Tuesday that it was prepared to deal with Parliament’s written notes in a positive manner and determine what would be acceptable to them.

The statement underlined “total insistence on continuing the current efforts to reach an agreement with Parliament to alleviate the daily sufferings of the Libyan citizens.”

Immediately after the suspension of the meeting of the Joint Drafting Committee in Tunis on Monday evening, the spokesman for the UN mission said this would “give the opportunity for both sides to consult with the dialogue committees of Parliament and the High State Council”, noting that meetings and internal consultations would continue the next day, which did not happen.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, a member of Parliament’s dialogue committee told Asharq al-Awsat that the reason behind the suspension of the meeting was due to “demands by the High State Council representatives to have a greater proportion of competencies related to state appointments, in exchange for reducing the powers of the House of Representatives in the future, which we have rejected.”

Abdullah Blaiheq, Parliament’s official spokesperson, told Asharq al-Awsat that meetings were suspended until the State Council dialogue committee submits its written proposals on the points of disagreement.

“There have been some changes to what was put forward… They have returned to talk again about the issue of a president and two deputies,” a point that has sparked many controversies according to Blaiheq.