adminMore than two months after he was captured and killed, real power remains in the hands of the armed groups, who have carved up Libya and its capital into competing fiefdoms, each holding out for the share of power they say they are owed.
To help reinstate law and order, the interim government plans to integrate thousands of former fighters in the military, the police and other civilian jobs.
Some armed chiefs say they will only cede command of their fighters once an organised military and security apparatus is in place.
Manqoush’s appointment by Mustafa Abdel Jalil, the National Transitional Council chairman, could pave the way towards forming a structured military. But it is not clear yet whether the commanders of these armed groups will accept him.
His prospects could be boosted by the fact that he hails from Misrata, besieged for months by Gaddafi’s forces and home to a number of the armed groups that helped to topple him and now seek what they see as a fair share of power.
Fighters from Misrata in particular hold a vast arsenal of tanks, rockets and guns. The new interim defence minister, Osama al-Juwali, comes from Zintan, base of a another major armed group.
Manqoush is a retired army general who joined the campaign against Gaddafi and now serves as the deputy defence minister, according to an NTC official who asked not to be named.
“He’s a military officer who chose to retire. He joined the front lines early in the revolution, was arrested by Gaddafi forces and then was freed by the revolutionaries.”
Armed groups were given a 20 December deadline to leave Tripoli and have dismantled most of their checkpoints and limited their presence on Tripoli’s streets, but crucially kept some bases. — AP.
Online Reporter