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By Umar Khan and Ashraf Abdul Wahab.
Tripoli, 17 November 2013:
The deputy defence minister of Libya, Khalid Sharif, has ordered the Tripoli . . .[restrict]Local Council (TLC) to demolish all the buildings belonging to Qaddafi-regime officials in the district of Gharghour. It was from these buildings that Misratan forces fired on Friday during the massacre in which 43 people died and 460 were wounded.
The decision (number 14328-38) was issued Sunday afternoon, reportedly “after series of meetings with many officials and influential people of Tripoli”. However within hours, the Council of Ministers and the Minister of Defence, Abdullah Al-Thinni had countermanded Sharif’s instructions. The rescinding of the move was accompanied by a stern warning that locals should not approach the buildings and seek to destroy them themselves.
The government is clearly concerned that there should be no provocation in the 72 hours before Misratan forces are due to withdraw entirely from Tripoli.
Sharif’s people had explained that the idea behind the move is to defuse local tensions. The Gharghour buildings, mostly giant and expensive villas were taken over by brigade members from Misrata after the fall of Tripoli. In the past two years, there have been numerous arguments and gunfights over the ownership of these villas, the occupation of which, some local residents believe, has been the real reason for the unit staying on.
This piece is an update of an earlier article on Khalid Sharif’s original plan. [/restrict]
