| Week-long rioting has spread to areas outside of the city |
| 12 Nov 2008 |
| Unconfirmed reports on 11 November 2008 indicated that week-long rioting, which has killed anywhere from 11 to 33 people in the southeastern town of Kufra, has spread to areas outside of the city and may have also provoked violent unrest in Benghazi, the second-largest city in the country. Anonymous reports from opposition members and locals in the northeastern region of the country claimed that clashes between security forces and anti-government factions have occurred in Benghazi despite the increasing security measures implemented by the government to control unrest. Government officials had acknowledged the recent violent unrest in the southeastern city of Kufra, but have refused to comment on the situation in Benghazi.
The violence in Kufra, which began on 3 November, is a result of ongoing tensions between the government and local Tabu and Zawai tribes, which allege that the government routinely institutes discriminatory policies against them. In December 2007 the Libyan government withdrew citizenship from Tabu tribe members, arguing that the group essentially supports Libya's rival, Chad. Some Libyan officials have also suggested that tribe members should leave Libya.
ASI comment: The recent reports of unrest in Benghazi (though unconfirmed) suggest that a possible chain-reaction type of violence may be occurring in the country, as the city of Benghazi is located approximately 582 mi/ 938 km north of Kufra and does not have a direct connection to the Tabu and Zawia protests. Anti-government elements in Benghazi may be using this unrest to further their own agenda. It is important to note that information is often difficult to verify in the tightly-controlled Libyan regime, where the press is censored; however, anti-government incidents have been reported in the past in the cities of Kufra and Benghazi. Although isolated clashes such as these are periodically reported, it is rare for anti-government violence to spread from one city to another.. At present, unconfirmed reports appear to suggest that tensions remain high, especially in the affected areas surrounding and including Kufra and Benghazi. Military forces have been dispatched to these areas, which, depending on their actions, could escalate the situation. Libyan authorities generally react swiftly and harshly to suppress any sort of backlash and anti-government elements. Official response to the alleged recent incidents will likely be severe and can result in a security lockdown of the affected areas.
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| Libya to cut diplomatic & economic ties with Switzerland |
| 13 Oct 2008 |
| Libyan officials stated on 10 October 2008 that the country will take several measures to cut diplomatic and economic ties with Switzerland to protest the poor treatment of several Libyan diplomats and businessmen by Swiss security forces. Officials confirmed earlier reports indicating that Libya will suspend all crude oil shipments to the country and withdraw billions in assets from Swiss banks. Libyan Afriqiyah Airlines is also slated to reduce the number of direct flights to Switzerland, and the Libyan government has also suspended all consular services for Swiss nationals. According to Libyan officials, the measures will remain in effect until the Swiss government accounts for recent incidents involving the detention and poor treatment of several Libyan diplomats and businessmen in Switzerland. Libya's Foreign Ministry has reportedly set up an independent committee to look into the recent allegations as well as the treatment of Libyan leader Muammar Khadafy's son during his July 2008 detention in Geneva on assault charges.
The recent announcement came after a three-month diplomatic spat stemming from the earlier arrest of Khadafy's son. Those charges were later dropped after the two servants whom Khadafy's son had allegedly beaten, officially withdrew their grievances. During this time period, Libya took similar diplomatic and economic steps and called for a public apology from the Swiss government. Tensions subsided after the charges were dropped and Libyan anti-Swiss measures were relaxed until this recent renewal of tensions.
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| 19 people who were kidnapped earlier this week in Egypt were transported to Libya |
| 26 Sep 2008 |
| Reports indicated on 25 September 2008 that the 19 people who were kidnapped earlier this week in Egypt were transported to Libya. The nationalities of the tourists and kidnappers are currently unknown, but they are believed to be from either Chad or Egypt. The tourists were moved approximately 9 mi/15 km inside the Libyan border early on 26 September. The director of protocol at the Sudanese foreign ministry stated that the hostages remained unharmed and were most likely moved due to the shortage of water within the area. Libyan authorities contacted by news agencies refused to comment on the exact location of the hostages.
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| Hijackers release all passengers & surrender |
| 28 Aug 2008 |
| On 27 August 2008 Libyan officials announced that two hijackers have safely released all passengers on a commercial aircraft and have surrendered in the city of Kufra in southern Libya. The gunmen hijacked the Sun Air Boeing 737 aircraft shortly after it took off from Nyala Airport (HSNN/UYL) in the Darfur region of Sudan for Khartoum on 26 August. The hijackers then forced the pilots to divert the flight to an airstrip in Kufra, where Libyan officials began negotiations with the gunmen; the stand-off lasted approximately 22 hours. Reports indicate that there were originally 87 passengers and eight crewmembers on the flight. The hijackers identified themselves as Darfur rebels with the Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM) militant group. SLM leadership has denied any connection with the hijackers. |
