The mountainous city of Derna, 320 kilometers east of Benghazi, continues to be besieged by Libyan army forces commanded by General Haftar. The armed groups that control the coastal city refuse to surrender and hand over their weapons to the Libyan army which is fighting to bring the city under the control of the House of Representatives (HoR). The army has been besieging the city for over a year.

The mountainous city of Derna, 320 kilometers east of Benghazi, continues to be besieged by Libyan army forces commanded by General Haftar. The armed groups that control the coastal city refuse to surrender and hand over their weapons to the Libyan army which is fighting to bring the city under the control of the House of Representatives (HoR). The army has been besieging the city for over a year.

In 2011, the militant Islamic ‘Abu Salim’ group – known now as Derna Revolutionary Shura Council (DRSC) – took control of Derna. Islamic State (IS) soon joined the DRSC but the two did not cohabit well. Over time, the disagreements between the two parties developed into armed clashes. The DRSC drove IS away from the city in June 2015.

The Libyan army, led by General Khalifa Haftar, however argues that IS and the DRSC are two sides of the same coin, and thus the city should be liberated from both. The situation for now remains unclear. The DRSC has no intention to cut a deal with the army, making the city’s fate unknown.

Correspondents interviewed House of Representatives Member for Derna Intisar Shnaib to discuss the current conflict and humanitarian crisis in the besieged city.

Ms. Shnaib, how would you describe the humanitarian situation caused by the army’s blockade of Derna?

It is very bad. The army however has several times allowed the entry of humanitarian aid from the Libyan Red Crescent (LRC) and the International Red Cross (IRC) to help those in need in the city.

The problem lies with the DRSC. It has worsened the situation by not handing over its weapons to the army. The army wants to fully control and liberate the entire city from terrorism.

Should the Interim Government not help the people of Derna and meet its basic services needs?

Unfortunately, the Interim Government is not interested in the people of Derna. The city’s innocent are being punished collectively for a crime committed by extremists. There is a lack of medical, educational and administrative services.

We cannot put all the blame on the government since the armed group that occupies the city does not recognize these needs. The Cabinet needs to find a way to deliver necessary services and needs since Derna is within its work scope.

What are the major places, institutions and neighborhoods controlled by the DRSC?

The DRSC controls the entirety of Derna, with all its entrances and exits. Many neighborhoods revolted against the occupation, such as the East Coast and Bab Tobruk, but the DRSC terrifies people and pressures and threatens activists. Though the DSRC number no more than 200, they have the power and weapons and control the city unabated.

Do you think that the army and Operation Dignity are accepted by local residents in Derna ?

Certainly. Many accept Operation Dignity and believe the army should enter the city to rid people of the terrorist organizations oppressing it. I can even say that the army’s popularity increased dramatically when it fully controlled the oil crescent area and liberated it from Jadhran and his gang who caused the state to lose over LYD 100 billion as a result of closing the oil ports. Believe me, 90 per cent of Derna people support the army.

If the army enters the city, how long would the ‘liberation’ last?

Derna is a very small city with a population of no more than 150,000. I expect they will revolt once the army enters the city because they have suffered from the control of one organization after another. Yet be sure that the people of Derna support the army since they give it information about the whereabouts of ammunition and terrorists in Derna.

To what extent do service providers and security forces in the city cooperate with the DRSC?

To be frank, most officials of Derna are helpless and caught between a rock (IS) and a hard place (the DRSC). Everyone who deals with the army is shot dead. Thus, they have no choice other than dealing with these organizations, according the public interest of the city.

As an HoR Member, how have you helped Derna?

My colleague Khairallah Turkawi – an HoR member for Derna – and I have done our best and frequently demanded to Houset Speaker to provide our city with necessary humanitarian aids, fuel and gas. Unfortunately, most of our requests have been refused without justification. We have also appealed to all international agencies, including the IRC, humanitarian organizations and the United Nations mission, but we are curbed in one way or the other.

You invested a lot of effort into reconciliation in Derna: convergence of views and decommissioning of arms. What did the negotiations result in?

I held these negotiations for fear for my city’s people. The army has always prevented bloodsheds and protected civilians and it has committed to the different truces, but the DRSC refuse to hand over weapons.

You were one of the biggest supporters of the Government of National Accord – GNA – but soon you changed your mind and turned against it. What happened?

I still support the political accord and dialogue. I strongly supported the GNA from the beginning, but I changed my opinion because it did not embrace all and it preferred some parties and regions over others. Besides, it supported controversial groups, which aggravated the situation.

The GNA did not form a unified army, while it supported Al-Bunyan Al-Marsous forces in Misrata and Jadhran forces and formed other entities to replace the army and police. It has abandoned the army that has been fighting terrorism in Benghazi for two years. Thus, we are back to square one. This will cause major problems among the people of one nation. Frankly speaking, we do not want a technocracy, but a patriotic government that seeks to serve the nation, protects its borders and resources and seeks a serious national reconciliation. This is what national accord is about.