UN efforts to reach a political solution to save Libya from the continued, vicious cycle of violence were dealt another major setback on October 23, when demonstrators in the Kish Square in Benghazi were targeted by random shelling. Nine people were killed and another 30 were injured.

UN efforts to reach a political solution to save Libya from the continued, vicious cycle of violence were dealt another major setback on October 23, when demonstrators in the Kish Square in Benghazi were targeted by random shelling. Nine people were killed and another 30 were injured.

Despite local and international condemnation of the shelling, no one has officially claimed responsibility for the attack and no entity has announced an investigation into the crime. All that has been published on social networking sites is a photo by a military source specifying the number and type of shells used and the  launching point.

According to the photo, the shells were launched from the Sabri District – five kilometers from Kish Square – which is witnessing continuous clashes between the two sides and is controlled by neither side.

Finger pointing all around

Most observers accuse the forces of the Shura Council of Benghazi Revolutionaries (SCBR) of targeting the protestors, especially since the demonstration was preceded by threats – published on SCBR pages – that they would not allow people to stage a demonstration to protest the government formation. The SCBR however issued a statement denying its responsibility for the incident, insisting that such targets were open for over a year and a half.

Pro-SCBR supporters accuse the forces of General Khalifa Haftar of trying to force a game change. The fact that Haftar’s photos were among the photos flown at the demonstration did not stop SCBR supporters’ accusations.

Political activist Issa Abdulqaiyum warns that the disaster will negatively impact dialogue in Libya. He expects that the international position on what is going on in Libya will change after these events.

Director General of ‘Together for National Mobilization Organization’ Hussein Ebedi concurs with Abdulqaiym. Both accuse the SCBR of committing the crime and condemn the General National Congress, expressing condolences to the victim’s families while it is supporting the Khawarej Alliance, the main suspect in the calamity.

“Although I am against Haftar and his project, I cannot accuse him without evidence,” says Usama Kabar, a political analyst, stressing that the latest demonstration at the Kish Square is a national and popular movement motivated by a feeling of responsibility for Libya’s future. “It is difficult to know for sure who has done it, as many sides have interests. It might be those who support León and his government formation or intelligence agents who want to complicate the scene and involve the two sides – the government’s proponents and opponents – in a conflict.”

Safety basics

The ‘Response to León’ demonstration, as called by its organizers, was called for although the previous week’s demonstration was targeted by mortar shells with no victims. More than a thousand protestors took part in the demonstration despite the rainy weather and the risks of targeting the demonstration again.

Journalist Fayez Sweri believes that those who called for the demonstration are to blame. “The Council of Deputies and Abdullah al-Thani’s government are convened in Tobruk instead of Benghazi on the pretext that the latter is unsafe. Also, Haftar transferred his headquarters from Benghazi to Marj for the same reason,” he says. “So, how on earth could these entities call on the city’s people to demonstrate although it is unsafe? It goes without saying that people should not congregate in conflict areas.”

Sweri also claims that the demonstration was not entirely peaceful. “The demonstration at the Kish Square was a cross between peaceful expression of opinions and the presence of armed groups, which made things appear suspicious,” he says. “It also included slogans inciting bloodshed. However, all of that does not justify targeting it. It is a crime we all strongly condemn.”

Demonstrators disagree with Sweri about the need to stop demonstrating in Benghazi. They consider peaceful demonstration to make their voice heard to be a genuine, unalienable right.

Political activist Sanoussi Bujnah, one of those who called for staging the Kish demonstration, believes that the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) has contributed to Benghazi’s current situation because it has neither defined nor faced terrorism. The Kish incident, says Bujnah, has ended all hopes of reaching an agreement with the other side, which embraces violence to impose its point of view.

UNSMIL is to blame

Many people accuse the UNSMIL of contributing to the deteriorating situation in Benghazi. Political activist Mohamed Fakheri, who took part in the demonstration, says what provoked Benghazi’s people and made them demonstrate despite difficult circumstances is that “León considered the Libyan army and the terrorist groups equal when he said that the war was fought for the sake of power.”

Political and human rights activist Issam Tajouri concurs with Fakheri. He accuses the UNSMIL of bias and exceeding its mandate. The UNSMIL, says Tajouri, “has lost its credibility because it still considers extremist groups a party to the conflict, rather than mere criminal terrorist groups that kill the army in Benghazi and consider democracy to be a godless practice.”

In an attempt to modify its position in response to these accusations, the UNSMIL published a statement on its official website on Monday in which it announced its plans to modify the government formation reached in the political agreement from October 11 to the main political stakeholders for their endorsement. The configuration of the Presidency Council will be expanded from six to nine to include the prime minister, five deputy prime ministers and three senior ministers.

“The Mission has undertaken extensive consultations with parties across the Libyan political spectrum on ways of addressing some of the concerns with respect to the configuration of the Presidency Council, especially those related to fair and adequate representation for the east, more specifically Benghazi,” read the statement. “These are primarily focused on the need for a formula that safeguards Libya’s historical traditions of geographical and regional balance and representation.”

Despite the loss of lives, Manaji Ben Halim, a Ministry of Culture official, believes that the Kish demonstration has highlighted people’s demands and will at least change the strategy of reaching an agreement. She however does not believe people will be completely satisfied given the prominent disagreement. Politicians, says Halim, “will eventually agree and share ministerial portfolios.”