Week-long rioting has spread to areas outside of the city

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.