Libyan crisis: deal between southern groups give a glimmer of hope for peace in Fezzan

With deal signed at the Sant'Egidio Community in Rome, humanitarian aid can start to flow into Libya’s southernmost region. Rich in natural resources, it is also a gateway to all sorts of trafficking. Currently, it is experiencing a serious health and humanitarian crisis. Reopening roads is crucial to jumpstart the process of national reconstruction.

Fezzan (AsiaNews) – Political and ethnic groups in southern Libya signed an agreement in Rome at the Sant'Egidio Community to deal with the serious humanitarian situation in the Fezzan, a region that has always been marginalised.

Inked last Friday after a week of talks between the various groups that make up the southern tribal and ethnic mosaic, the agreement was made possible thanks to the mediation of the Sant'Egidio community, which was able to bring together all the parties involved for the first time.

Fezzan is a big region with a population of about 400,000. Rich in natural resources, in addition to underground water and uranium, it has some of Libya’s main oil fields. It is also a gateway for all sorts of smuggling and trafficking, including humans. Fezzan has in fact become a magnet for people fleeing Niger, Mali, and Sudan.

Its complex ethnic composition, and external interference have made it a place of tensions, as was the case when the Gaddafi regime collapsed and the country plunged into civil war. The power vacuum that followed turned the region into a major point of transit for migrants trying to reach Europe and a point of entry for the Islamic State (IS) group, also known by its Arabic acronym of Daesh.

Taking advantage of Libya’s lawlessness, IS seized the city of Sirte, turning it into its stronghold. Should they lose the city, they have an escape route to the south, to the Fezzan, a windfall in terms of resources and logistical advantages for various terrorist groups, IS included.

In the Fezzan, the collapse of Libyan state institutions and the lack of security have prompted the flight of Korean medical doctors, leaving a few Libyan health professionals to cope heroically with the pressing needs of the local population.

The proliferation of diseases, compounded by the massive influx of desperate people precariously crossing the deserts, has aggravated the situation. To these must be added those wounded in fighting against IS in Sirte, who are evacuated to the Fezzan.

Local hospitals have been in short supply of everything, from drugs to staff, with dire consequences for the sick. Failure to provide adequate care has increased the mortality rate among children, women and seniors. Power shortages have also increased, further undermining local health care facilities.

Faced with a situation of divisions and power struggles, many groups have tried to overcome differences and conflicts to face the pending dangers.

In Fezzan’s case, the Sant’Egidio Community was again a crucial venue for finding a solution, compared to the lack of interest by Libya’s northern governments and the international community.

The Community was crucial in the recent past in other cases. It helped the Toubou and the Tuareg reach a peace deal after years of confrontation.

As a result of the agreement, roads with the south were reopened, and the authority of the Government of National Accord under Fayez Mustafa al-Sarraj was recognised. The latter is backed by Italy, the United Nations and the international community.

Last Friday’s deal should enable the delivery of medical supplies to all five of Fezzan’s provinces, which have run out of everything, including vaccination material for children.

It should also facilitate the flow of other humanitarian aid, and the arrival of the Red Cross and other international NGOs, including some from Italy.

Open roads are also crucial for the UN-backed process of national reconstruction. (PB)

• libya
• fezzan
• civil war
• toubou
• tuareg
• peace accord
• sant’egidio community