•  tripoli/benghazi
• Thursday, March 24, 2011
• Inter Press Service

- Libya's pro-democracy fighters have formed an 'interim government' even as forces backing the country's leader, Muammar Gaddafi, press ahead with attacks against them.

Heading up the new government as an interim prime minister is Mahmoud Jibril, who had been working as a representative to foreign powers. He is best known on the international stage for meeting Nicolas Sarkozy, the French president, which led to France diplomatically recognising the rebels' transitional council as the sole representative of the Libyan people.

Opposition spokesman Nisan Gouriani told Al Jazeera: 'The provisional national council is a legislative body, but we need an executive body to take control and provide an administration.' He said the rebels' 'position has been very clear from the beginning - that Libya is one unit'.

'Our capital is Tripoli and will forever be Tripoli,' he said. 'We are striving to liberate the western parts of the country, and Tripoli, and keep the country united. We would like to emphasise this over and over again.'

The rebels had been wary of calling their nascent administration in their Benghazi stronghold an interim government, seemingly cautious of signifying a split in the country. 'But they remain committed to one Libya,' said Al Jazeera's James Bays, reporting from Benghazi. 'They want the people of Libya to remain united, just without Gaddafi.'

Meanwhile, fierce fighting continued on Wednesday with forces loyal to Gaddafi attacking rebel positions across the North African state. Undaunted by air strikes launched by coalition warplanes aimed at enforcing a no-fly zone, pro-Gaddafi forces pressed ahead with their assaults on the towns of Misurata, Ajdabiya and Zintan in the past 24 hours.

Pro-democracy fighters ranged against Gaddafi are finding the going tough. Mostly outgunned and with little command structure, they have been left to run sporadic raids against Gaddafi's troops, before falling back to their original lines.

But despite the little headway made by them, a rebel commander described the men as 'real heroes'. 'They are brave to the point of being suicidal,' Mohamed Hariri told Al Jazeera.

© Inter Press Service (2011) — All Rights Reserved. Original source: Inter Press Service

Where next?

Advertisement