Amid the immediate triumphalism that followed Muammar Qaddafi's demise in October, many harboured fears that tribal and factional interests in Libya would trump any unity engendered during the revolution.
It was not difficult to see the reason for the concern. As Libya's new flag was being hoisted in Tripoli, truckloads of anti-government rebels, many still in their teens, bore down on the Libyan capital to celebrate liberation from four decades of tyranny. As the euphoria ebbed, it became clear that rival militias of AK47-armed teenagers were not a recipe for a stable state.
Exactly a year after taking up arms against Qaddafi, as the nation celebrates its new "Revolution Day" today, getting the militias to lay down their weapons is proving as difficult as defeating the old regime.
On Wednesday, an Amnesty International report documented dozens of cases of militias in post-war Libya, torturing prisoners and forcefully evacuating whole neighbourhoods. By refusing to disband and continuing to operate outside the law, these gangs are seriously undermining the government's efforts to form a democratic society based on justice, Amnesty concluded.
It is clear the National Transitional Council did not have the first loyalty of most Qaddafi opponents, who were often organised on regional and tribal affiliations. Worse still, the opposition movement, led by the NTC, had no unifying mechanism for peacetime - tribes associated with the former regime, such as the Warfalla and the Qaddafa, have been dangerously sidelined. The nearly complete absence of civil institutions, a legacy of the Qaddafi's rule, certainly has not helped.
As the new government struggles to extend its influence, the militias - former "freedom fighters" - continue to roam the streets, guns in hand, unopposed. It is a lesson that, for example, Syria's developing opposition movement should be watching.
The likelihood of a reconciliation with President Bashar Al Assad is almost non-existent. However, the Syrian opposition must endeavour to open lines of communications with many tribes and groups that remain neutral, or even those that side with the regime because of political expediency. Syria has seen too much violence already. A climate of "with us or against us" can only lead to the kind of unrest, factional fighting and settling of scores that continues to haunt Libya.
Libya can make its way past these dark days of torture and uncertainty. But that will be the day when the Libyan government is in control of the streets, not partisan militias. That will also be the real anniversary to celebrate.
OPTA'S PREDICTED TABLE
1. Liverpool 101 points
2. Manchester City 80
3. Leicester 67
4. Chelsea 63
5. Manchester United 61
6. Tottenham 58
7. Wolves 56
8. Arsenal 56
9. Sheffield United 55
10. Everton 50
11. Burnley 49
12. Crystal Palace 49
13. Newcastle 46
14. Southampton 44
15. West Ham 39
16. Brighton 37
17. Watford 36
18. Bournemouth 36
19. Aston Villa 32
20. Norwich City 29
MATCH INFO
Manchester City 0
Wolves 2 (Traore 80', 90 4')
Racecard:
2.30pm: Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoun Emirates Breeders Society Challenge; Conditions (PA); Dh40,000; 1,600m
3pm: Handicap; Dh80,000; 1,800m
3.30pm: Jebel Ali Mile Prep Rated Conditions; Dh110,000; 1,600m
4pm: Handicap; Dh95,000; 1,950m
4.30pm: Maiden; Dh65,000; 1,400m
5pm: Handicap; Dh85,000; 1,200m
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Du Football Champions
The fourth season of du Football Champions was launched at Gitex on Wednesday alongside the Middle East’s first sports-tech scouting platform.“du Talents”, which enables aspiring footballers to upload their profiles and highlights reels and communicate directly with coaches, is designed to extend the reach of the programme, which has already attracted more than 21,500 players in its first three years.
Singham Again
Director: Rohit Shetty
Stars: Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ranveer Singh, Akshay Kumar, Tiger Shroff, Deepika Padukone
Rating: 3/5
MATCH INFO
Alaves 1 (Perez 65' pen)
Real Madrid 2 (Ramos 52', Carvajal 69')
The biog
Name: Maitha Qambar
Age: 24
Emirate: Abu Dhabi
Education: Master’s Degree
Favourite hobby: Reading
She says: “Everyone has a purpose in life and everyone learns from their experiences”
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COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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Business Insights
- Canada and Mexico are significant energy suppliers to the US, providing the majority of oil and natural gas imports
- The introduction of tariffs could hinder the US's clean energy initiatives by raising input costs for materials like nickel
- US domestic suppliers might benefit from higher prices, but overall oil consumption is expected to decrease due to elevated costs
MATCH INFO
Champions League quarter-final, first leg
Tottenham Hotspur v Manchester City, Tuesday, 11pm (UAE)
Matches can be watched on BeIN Sports
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
Company%20Profile
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The biog
Mission to Seafarers is one of the largest port-based welfare operators in the world.
It provided services to around 200 ports across 50 countries.
They also provide port chaplains to help them deliver professional welfare services.
FIGHT CARD
From 5.30pm in the following order:
Featherweight
Marcelo Pontes (BRA) v Azouz Anwar (EGY)
Catchweight 90kg
Moustafa Rashid Nada (KSA) v Imad Al Howayeck (LEB)
Welterweight
Mohammed Al Khatib (JOR) v Gimbat Ismailov (RUS)
Flyweight (women)
Lucie Bertaud (FRA) v Kelig Pinson (BEL)
Lightweight
Alexandru Chitoran (BEL) v Regelo Enumerables Jr (PHI)
Catchweight 100kg
Mohamed Ali (EGY) v Marc Vleiger (NED)
Featherweight
James Bishop (AUS) v Mark Valerio (PHI)
Welterweight
Gerson Carvalho (BRA) v Abdelghani Saber (EGY)
Middleweight
Bakhtiyar Abbasov (AZE) v Igor Litoshik (BLR)
Bantamweight:
Fabio Mello (BRA) v Mark Alcoba (PHI)
Welterweight
Ahmed Labban (LEB) v Magomedsultan Magemedsultanov (RUS)
Bantamweight
Trent Girdham (AUS) v Jayson Margallo (PHI)
Lightweight
Usman Nurmagomedov (RUS) v Roman Golovinov (UKR)
Middleweight
Tarek Suleiman (SYR) v Steve Kennedy (AUS)
Lightweight
Dan Moret (USA) v Anton Kuivanen (FIN)
HOW TO WATCH
Facebook: TheNationalNews
Twitter: @thenationalnews
Instagram: @thenationalnews.com
TikTok: @thenationalnews
Punchy appearance
Roars of support buoyed Mr Johnson in an extremely confident and combative appearance
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Barcelona v Liverpool, Wednesday, 11pm (UAE).
Second leg
Liverpool v Barcelona, Tuesday, May 7, 11pm
Games on BeIN Sports
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
Company%20profile
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A list of the animal rescue organisations in the UAE
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Monster
Directed by: Anthony Mandler
Starring: Kelvin Harrison Jr., John David Washington
3/5
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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