Date Posted: 04-Nov-2011, Jane's Defence Weekly
Libya facing disarmament challenge amid pressure to secure stockpiles
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon was in Libya on 2 November to add his voice to the international chorus of concern about the unsecured weapons stockpiles and the possibility that they could fall into insurgent hands.
As the international community focused on the arsenals of deposed leader Moammar Ghadaffi, the country's transitional government struggled to persuade the various militias and armed groups to disarm.
Ban's visit followed a resolution 2017 passed unanimously on 31 October by the UN Security Council for Libya to quickly secure the stockpiles of conventional weapons left behind by Ghadaffi's forces.
The US has pledged USD40 million to assist in securing the stockpiles and smaller contributions are expected from the other countries that formed part of the NATO-led coalition which helped bring the 43-year Ghadaffi regime to an end.
Securing the stockpiles will also help to mitigate the conflicts that have sprung up among the various militias that banded together to bring down the regime. Since its fall, many have turned on each other to settle long-held grudges or disputes over the spoils of war.
The streets of the capital Tripoli are teeming with 'technicals': pick-up trucks mounted with anti-aircraft guns and other heavy weapons.
Speaking on 2 November, outgoing interim leader Mustafa Abdul-Jalil repeated Libyan pleas that the billions of dollars in assets frozen during the conflict be released so that disarmament and weapons control could continue at the pace demanded by the international community.
While the conflict has ended, instability and insecurity prevail: some rebel commanders said that they are reluctant to disarm first for fear they will be at a disadvantage should the transition to some form of democratic government take too long or be too chaotic.
Dealing with the still-armed militias while also responding to the international demands for swift action will prove to be two of the biggest challenges facing the newly appointed prime minister, former engineering professor Abdel Rahim el-Keeb.
Some transitional government officials suggest that building a new national army that incorporates elements of the various regional militias would go a long way towards reducing the chaos and the infighting. Part of the impetus for quickly creating a new national security force would also be to dilute the power of some of the brigades, particularly those in the east and in Tripoli, which are affiliated with Islamist groups that are also forming political wings to stand in any eventual elections.
Lauren Gelfand JDW Middle East/Africa Editor Nairobi
read a related article in BBC News