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TRIPOLI Anger has been boiling in the Libyan south-eastern region that includes the cities of Sirte, Ajdabiya up to Kufra, an area that was called Cyrenaica Elbeida (White Cyrenaica) during the reign of the late King Idris al-Senussi.

Prominent figures from the region have issued two statements in less than a month calling for the need for their region to be represented in Libyas political negotiations.

They have also expressed their support for a proposal for a mechanism to select a new executive authority, favouring the selection of Abdulhamid al-Dabaiba for the presidency of government and Abdul Jawad al-Ubaidi to head the Presidency Council.

The statements dealt a blow to Parliament Speaker Aguila Saleh, who has been touted as a candidate to head the Presidency Council with the support of tribes from the eastern province.

The statements also raised the eyebrows of observers and experts specialised in Libyan political affairs.

Over the past few years, Cyrenaica has been largely cohesive, especially after the Fajr Libya militia launched a coup against the results of 2014 legislative elections.

However, the first statement issued on December 10 used the reference Cyrenaica Elbeida to designate the geographical area, while the second statement spoke of the south-east in a move that seemed to correct the first reference, which appears to be an attempt to re-divide Cyrenaica into two distinct areas Cyrenaica Elbeida and Cyrenaica Elhamra (Red Barqa).

Among the most prominent demands included in the Supreme Constitutive Committee for the Southeast Regions statement are the designation of the south-east as a fourth region similar to the three current regions of the country Tripoli, Cyrenaica and Fezzan, and the adoption of international and national standards used in local administration to distribute financial and administrative quotas, with geography and natural resources being primarily taken into consideration.

The statement, which was considered to be a declaration of the establishment of the White Cyrenaica region, also demanded the involvement of the southeast in all international and national negotiations that would determine the fate of the Libyan state, in addition to the allocation a specific share of oil revenues in the constitution to be distributed among the municipalities of the Southeast in order to bring about sustainable development to the region.

White Cyrenaica, or what is commonly known as the southeast, produces more than 75% of Libyas total oil output, and is a fertile agricultural region that pumps an estimated 6 billion litres of drinking water into the country.

The two recent statements have raised suspicion among observers, who viewed the move as the beginning of an attempt to separate White Cyrenaica from Red Cyrenaica, which has been accused of monopolising power and oil revenue.

In 1920, the borders of Cyrenaica were demarcated between Italy and the late Libyan King Idris al-Senussi. Under the agreement, Rome controlled the territory of Red Cyrenaica and its capital, Benghazi, while White Cyrenaica and its capital, Ajdabiya, remained under the control of the king.

In mid-December last year, the notables, sheikhs and youth of White Cyrenaica in the central region of Sirte up to Ajdabiya and Kafra demanded that more than one candidate from the region be nominated for the posts of Presidency Council head and prime minister.

In a statement, prominent figures from the region confirmed their support for the second option presented at the Dialogue Forum on the mechanism for selecting executive authority, which guarantees the right for the region to nominate more than one candidate from among national figures that have integrity, competence and patriotism.

The statement expressed opposition to any meetings that promote and market a specific candidate and called for the national interest to be prioritised over personal interests.

The prominent figures expressed solidarity with all social forces in Cyrenaica in particular, and Libya in general, to come out with a presidential council and a national unity government that guarantees the fair distribution of wealth, the return of the displaced and the enforcement of law and order.

Observers do not rule out that the possibility that Turkey is behind the moves, considering that the proposal supported by the notables and sheikhs of White Cyrenaica could lead to the rise of Dabaiba a Misratan businessman supported by Ankara to head the next government.

Read more:
Political manoeuvres in Libya's south-east risk dividing Cyrenaica - The Arab Weekly