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Tripoli (AFP)

For those needing space to do business in Libya, a country beset by frequent blackouts and internet cuts after a decade of war, co-working has become increasingly popular.

Overcoming both restrictions to stem the coronavirus pandemic and the conflicts that have riven the oil-rich North African nation since the 2011 uprising that ousted long-time dictator Moamer Kadhafi, shared workspaces are booming especially in the capital Tripoli.

More than half of Libya's nearly seven million people live in Tripoli, where electricity, internet and water cuts can last several hours, crippling those trying to do business in the Mediterranean port city.

But co-working space managers have come up with solutions, providing those needing to connect online with everything from backup electricity generators and solar panels to power inverters.

Some have even set themselves up as internet service providers.

The new shared work spaces also provide their often young clients with a place not just to plug in their laptops, but also to network with like-minded people.

"People come for our services," said Youssef al-Rayan, manager of the Nuqta co-working space, which opened in 2017. "But also because they feel good here."

The three-storey building is on a busy commercial street in the heart of bustling Tripoli, but step inside its sleek glass facade, and it offers peace from the honking horns and noisy traffic.

"Welcome to your space," a banner at the entrance reads.

Options include private offices, meeting rooms and shared spaces, or "quiet rooms" with high-speed internet and secure lockers.

"I don't see myself locked in an office all day. Working from 8:00 am to 3:00 pm does not necessarily guarantee a return," said 23-year-old web designer Mohamad al-Mahjoub.

"I am much more productive working when and where I want."

- 'Community of freelancers' -

Some work on the terrace overlooking the street, sipping coffees -- ordered online -- from cafes.

"All I need is a very strong internet connection, electricity, air conditioning in the summer, and a cool place to meet with other young people," Mahjoub added.

Some centres organise workshops and "hackathons" -- competitions between web developers -- sometimes funded by companies, or organisations such as the United Nations.

"We have created a community of freelancers," said Rayan. "It provides a link between investors and the creators of businesses."

Libya's conflict has had a big impact on the business community.

Following Kadhafi's ouster in the 2011 NATO-backed uprising, an array of militias and rival administrations have filled the power vacuum, fighting to impose their authority.

The rival camps in Libya's complex war have received extensive backing from foreign powers.

But a fragile ceasefire between the two main sides agreed last October has largely held, and a transitional body has been put in place to prepare for December elections.

The co-working spaces had to close when eastern strongman Khalifa Haftar in April 2019 launched an aborted offensive to seize Tripoli, seat of the UN-recognised Government of National Accord.

"It was difficult to know where the missiles and shells were going to fall," Rayan said.

- A 'small family' -

Some people, like 24-year-old medical student Madiha al-Amari, were forced to flee their homes as fighting raged on the outskirts of the capital for almost a year.

"We were physically safe, but I needed to stay in touch with the world I knew and, without power or internet at my relative's place, this (co-working space) became a safe haven for me," she said.

"I don't want to flunk my exams after a whole semester of hard work because I don't have electricity or a good internet connection at home."

The work spaces are not for everyone, because costs are prohibitive for many.

"Prices may not be cheap for some... but I believe it's worth every penny," Amari added.

For others, it is a way to escape crowded cafes where there is "too much noise, too much smoke and too many men," said Manara al-Alem, who works online.

For parents worried that their daughters could be harassed, the spaces offer safety.

"The parents of young girls accompanied them to get an idea of the place," said Nuqta manager Rayan. "Very quickly, they felt reassured."

He also noted that co-working spaces comply with Covid-19 preventive measures for Libyans working online in a country that has recorded more than 128,000 cases of coronavirus including over 2,000 deaths.

Staff and clients say they agree that being at Nuqta is like being in "a small family".

2021 AFP

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From conflict to co-working, Libyan youths share space - FRANCE 24

The Green Mountain in northeastern Libya was veiled white this week as snow fell in the area for the first time in 15 years.

The rare flurry began on Monday and is expected to continue for at least two more days.

Families from the Sidi Mohamed Al-Hamri area dressed warmly and headed outside for fun-filled snowball fights, to build snowmen, and enjoy the wintry scenery.

Mohammed Saleh, a Bayda Resident, believes that the snowfall is an omen for peace in the country.

"We hope the snowfall will be a good sign for our homeland by unifying our institutions and unifying our country and for people to return to one another and love each other. As we see now, the children, people and families that came to this area, the area of Sidi Mohamed Al-Hamri."

Ali Al-Shairi, another Bayda Resident, came out to capture the positive energy.

"As an amateur photographer, I came to this place to document the scene, so I was here and actually surprised by the number of families who came here to take pictures in the snow."

According to the Libyan National Meteorological Center, temperatures near and below zero were recorded on Monday in several cities including Al-Bayda, Yefren, Nalut and Al-Marj, as well as Green Mountain and the Nafusa Mountain.

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Could Libyas First Snowfall in 15 Years Be a Good Omen? - Africanews English

By Mohamed Bughrara.

A decade on from Libyas 17 February 2011 revolution: from joy, to heartbreak, to hope again (Photo: Artistic imprints on the walls of Free Libya Facebook page).

17 February 2021:

February 17th, 2011 was a monumental moment in every Libyans heart. The eight-month revolution was filled with joy, tears, and optimism. As an 18-year-old kid, I felt more powerful and represented than ever before. Ten years later, that feeling is replaced with heartbreak, pain, and held by an Achilles heel. Although our voices are no longer occupied by the iron fist, it seems like that closed fist has opened up and is now covering our mouths, silencing our voices. The injustice were witnessing in Libya has amounted to so much corruption, that the concept of right and wrong is questioned.

Nevertheless, with all this chaos Libya remains still. Libya patiently waits for the countrys internal division to become solely unified. Libya remains patient as all its civilians come together as one merged voice, from the kids playing on the streets of Tripoli to the mothers preparing meals for their families in Benghazi, and every person in the country. Libya has provided every resource for its people to excel, however, we continued to take more than we give, this ultimately tilted the scale of peace and justice. However, Libya remains patient and still.

Even with a decade full of shortcomings, hope and optimism will remain strong. Once were able to take a hard look in the mirror and start incorporating healthy and progressive habits towards Libya, only then, will we grow socially, politically, and economically. Libya and its people have the opportunity to influence the continent and the Arab member states. Its up to our voices to combat the diaspora within Libya.

A Libyan, born in Alexandria, Egypt, Mohamed Bughrara migrated with his family to the United States at a young age. He was heavily involved in Libya during the 2011 revolution and started multiple social media outlets helping families reconnect and reporting credible information. He also organized charity events before experiencing the front lines. That experience propelled him to continue aiding the region. He was featured in published stories such as Voice 4 Libya and had local media exposure after the fall of Qaddafi due to his organizations work. He has participated in multiple international conferences including the World Youth Forum. His recent project was with Global Scholars where he was stationed in Lebanon working at refugee camps with displaced civilians from Syria and Palestine. In Washington State, Mohamed has worked with the Washington State Legislature and contributed with multiple local and national political campaigns. Currently, Mohamed is a Foreign Affairs Analyst for Libyan American Alliance and pursuing a Masters in Policy with a focus on Decolonization methods in Libya.

The views in this article do not necessarily reflect those of Libya Herald.

This article was contributed by the writer as part of a series of pieces by a number of female and male youth, in and outside Libya, invited by Libya Herald to reflect on the occasion of the tenth anniversary of the 17 February 2011 Libyan Revolution.

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Op-Ed: Libya's 17 February Revolution Joy, heartbreak, and hope | - Libya Herald

UNITED NATIONS The U.N. Security Council called the establishment of a transitional government in Libya an important milestone Tuesday and urged all countries with foreign forces and mercenaries in the North African nation to withdraw them without further delay as the divided North African nation moves toward elections in December.

The Libya conflict, which began with a NATO-backed uprising in 2011 that toppled longtime dictator Moammar Gadhafi and split the country, has been one of the most intractable remnants of the Arab spring a decade ago.

The agreement on a three-member interim presidency council and prime minister Friday has been seen as a major if uncertain step toward unifying Libya, which has rival governments in the east and west, each side backed by an array of local militias as well as regional and foreign powers.

The council called on the interim executives to agree swiftly on the formation of a new, inclusive government, make preparations for presidential and parliamentary elections planned for Dec. 24, improve services for the Libyan people, and launch a comprehensive national reconciliation process.

The presidential statement, approved by all 15 council members, is a step below a resolution and becomes part of the councils record.

The latest upsurge in violence in Libya began in April 2019 when the commander of eastern-based forces, Khalifa Hifter, backed by Egypt and the United Arab Emirates, launched an offensive seeking to capture the capital, Tripoli. His campaign collapsed after Turkey stepped up its military support for the U.N.-supported government in Tripoli and the west with hundreds of troops and thousands of Syrian mercenaries.

This led to a cease-fire agreement in October that called for the withdrawal of all foreign forces and mercenaries in three months and adherence to a U.N. arms embargo, provisions which have not been met.

Security Council members called on all parties to implement the cease-fire agreement in full, to quickly withdraw foreign forces and mercenaries, and fully comply with the arms embargo.

Last Thursday, the council requested Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to swiftly deploy an advance team to Libya as a first step to sending monitors to observe the cease-fire between the warring parties.

Guterres recommended in late December that international monitors be sent under a U.N. umbrella to observe the cease-fire from a base in the strategic city of Sirte, the gateway to Libyas major oil fields and export terminals. He said an advance team should be sent to Tripoli as a first step to provide the foundations for a scalable United Nations cease-fire monitoring mechanism based in Sirte.

The council statement adopted Tuesday underlines the importance of a credible and effective Libyan-led cease-fire monitoring mechanism under U.N. auspices and welcomes the swift deployment of an advance team.

The Security Council looks forward to receiving proposals on the tasks and scale of the cease-fire monitoring mechanism from the secretary-general, the presidential statement said.

The council thanked American diplomat Stephanie Williams, the former acting U.N. special envoy for Libya, for her role in getting the Libyan rivals to agree to the cease-fire, December elections and the transitional government.

Former Slovak foreign minister Jan Kubis, a veteran U.N. diplomat, took over Monday as the U.N. special representative for Libya. His office said he has spoken with key players in the east and west, the president-designate of the presidency council and the prime minister-designate.

The Security Council reaffirmed its strong commitment to the U.N.-facilitated Libyan-led and Libyan-owned political process and to the sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity and national unity of Libya. Kubis pledged to build on the momentum generated by positive developments achieved in the past months.

Originally posted here:
UN urges foreign fighters and mercenaries to leave Libya - Seymour Tribune

Newly designated Libyan Prime Minister Abdel-Hamid Dbeiba promised to submit a proposed cabinet team to the Libyan House of Representatives (HoR) for approval as soon as possible this week, so that the new government could get to work on its heavy agenda.

The HoR has to shoulder many responsibilities under the UN-sponsored roadmap to national reconciliation in Libya. However, despite initiatives backed by a significant number of MPs, it has not yet been able to convene as a unified body due to the continued polarisation in the country. There is still a legislature based in Tobruk in eastern Libya, while a large number of dissident MPs are also based in the west.

Two HoR consultative meetings convened simultaneously on 15 February, one in Tobruk with HoR Speaker Aguila Saleh presiding, and the other in the western city of Sabratha chaired by Abu Bakr Baera, a MP from Benghazi, in his capacity as the parliaments eldest member.

Prior to this there were attempts to persuade MPs to meet together for purposes on which they all agree, despite how far apart they remain on other issues. The main purpose was to discuss arrangements for a vote of confidence in a new national-unity government.

A HoR spokesman made the first attempt, with an invitation to MPs to visit Tobruk and meet to discuss the arrangements. The second attempt was an invitation sent out by the western-based camp headed by business magnate Mohamed Al-Raed, a MP for Misrata, to convene in Sabratha and reorganise the divided House.

That two separate HoR sessions had to be held in the east and the west is indicative of how deep the gulf is between the two camps. These need to come together to ensure that the forthcoming government does not suffer the legitimacy crisis that plagued the former Government of National Accord (GNA).

In his speech to the MPs who met in Tobruk on Monday, HoR Speaker Saleh said that he had launched his peace initiative in April 2020 on certain foundations that include reactivating the political process, separating its political, military, economic and constitutional tracks, halting the warfare, and launching a political dialogue aimed at attaining a political settlement despite how some on our side saw this as a disappointment and a renunciation of faith, while others on the opposite side saw it as an awakening that came too late.

Saleh stressed that his initiative was inspired firstly, by necessity, and, secondly, by the outputs of the Berlin Conference that led to the Cairo Declaration.

The Cairo Declaration, launched by Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi on 20 June last year, was instrumental in bringing a halt to the fighting in Libya. As Saleh put it, it was a necessary step to avert the perpetuation of the conflict... because Tripoli had not been waiting for us, as we had imagined... and even the international community feared the costs of an invasion of the capital.

In this rare criticism of the 14-month military operation that leader of the Libyan National Army (LNA) Khalifa Haftar launched in April 2019 with the aim of liberating Tripoli from the control of radical militias, Saleh added that the tendentious media succeeded in transforming [the campaign] into a civil war between the two Libyan regions of Cyrenaica and Tripolitania.

After the meeting in Tobruk, HoR Spokesman Abdullah Belheeg told reporters that the participants had agreed that a session on a vote for the new cabinet could be held in Sirte on the approval of the 5+5 Joint Military Commission (JMC). They also held that the new government should begin work in the city and that the new government must be inclusive so as not to marginalise any of Libyas three regions or any urban centres within them.

They urged action to remove all foreign fighters from Libya and called for the implementation of a development project for the city of Tobruk as a way of paying tribute to it for hosting the HoR after 2014. They also voted to revoke a resolution to rescind the membership of the 36 MPs whom Saleh had wanted dismissed and referred to the public prosecution for investigation.

The MPs meeting in Sabratha also committed to finding the means necessary to hold a vote of confidence in a new national-unity government. Following through on their meeting in Ghadames last month, they agreed on the need to restructure the HoR so as to better enable it to undertake its responsibilities in accordance with the roadmap for the new interim phase.

In the light of the Covid-19 pandemic and other circumstances, they agreed to use Zoom to allow MPs to participate in parliamentary debates and voting sessions and to form a communications team tasked with contacting other MPs in order to unify efforts and attain the necessary quorum for tomorrows session, according to a joint statement released by the MPs.

More than 30 MPs attended the session in Tobruk and around 65 attended the session in Sabratha, of whom 17 were from the east, according to Libyan MPs who attended them.

Differences between the rival camps are now focused on immediate priorities. HoR Speaker Saleh believes that the first priority should be the vote of confidence in the new government and then the question of restructuring the legislature.

In his April initiative, he proposed that the internal restructuring process should include the election of a new spokesperson, specifically from the southern region of Fezzan. He also wanted the session on the vote of confidence to be held in Tobruk or Benghazi, where the HoR is headquartered under the constitution. But he has indicated that he will defer to the 5+5 JMC, if it determines that it would be better to hold the session in Sirte.

Saleh, whose initiative calls for him to step down as HoR speaker, has served as speaker since the House first convened in August 2014. He has been frequently criticised for controlling the agenda and throwing spanners into the decision-making process. However, he has always claimed that under his tenure the legislature has done a good job, and lawmakers have enshrined the principle of the three regions and their rights to equitable shares of national wealth and political power.

Salehs adversaries are determined to hold the session in a city outside his control to circumvent his pressure and evasion tactics, however. This is why they want a new speaker elected first, as agreed on in Ghadames. According to Libyan news reports, some MPs at the meeting in Sabratha said they had received threats warning them against proceeding with steps to remove Saleh.

As of Monday evening, it was not clear what the participants had resolved, though it was reported that some MPs had tried to promote a compromise solution that involved having the 5+5 JMC determine the venue for the joint session for a vote on Dbeibas slate of ministers.

On the eve of the HoR sessions, Dbeiba said that he was committed to forming a government within the stipulated 21-day period and that his team had begun to review the CVs of candidates for various ministerial portfolios. He did not clarify how large a cabinet he had in mind.

Western governments have urged a smaller cabinet, while domestic political forces expect an expanded one. The latter also appears to be the view of French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian who in a recent discussion with new UN Special Envoy for Libya Jn Kubi emphasised the importance of the swift formation and investiture of an inclusive, representative government.

In another development, the new president of the three-member Libyan Presidency Council, Mohamed Mnefi, arrived in Tripoli on Tuesday over a week after his appointment to the post and following a visit to Tobruk. According to sources, he plans to visit other cities in Tripolitania before heading south to Fezzan, thereby demonstrating his determination to advance the process of national reconciliation.

On Wednesday, Libyans celebrated the tenth anniversary of the 17 February Revolution that overthrew the rule of former leader Muammar Qaddafi. Celebrations this year took place in an atmosphere of relative calm, thanks to the UN-brokered ceasefire that continues to hold four months after it was signed in Geneva.

*A version of this article appears in print in the 18 February, 2021 edition ofAl-Ahram Weekly

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