According to Libyan authorities, recent tribal clashes in
western Libya have left 105 people dead and around 500 seriously
wounded. Government spokesman Nasser al-Manaa said there had
been no fighting in the area since Monday 18 June, following the
deployment of the army.
The towns in the crossfire include Zintan, Mizdah and Shegayga,
approximately 150km south of Tripoli. The most recent clashes are seen
as a test for Libya's new government, which has struggled to
assert its power.
The recent battles were mainly between fighters from Zintan,
backed by another tribe known as the Guntrara from Mizdah, and armed
members of the Mashashya tribe based in Shegayga.
According to experts, the conflict dates back to the Colonel
Mu'ammar Qadhafi era when one tribe was given land expropriated
from another. It is thought that the latest spurt of fighting was
sparked by the death of a man from Zintan after he was stopped at a
checkpoint, which Zintan militias have blamed on the Mashashya
tribe.
Libya's ruling National Transitional Council
(NTC), which took power last year, has been trying to maintain stability since the civil war ended. The latest fighting comes just weeks ahead of
elections for a national assembly.
Sources: Reuters, BBC News, WSJ
For more news and expert analysis about Libya, please see Libya Focus and Libya Politics & Security.
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