On 20 February, David D. Kirkpatrick published for the New-York Times a insightful report on the Eastern city of Benghazi under the rule of Khalifa Haftar. Benghazi was overtaken by Haftar and his so-called Libyan National Army (LNA) in 2017, after a violent four-year campaign he claimed targeted Islamist fighters. As the report demonstrates, Benghazi reveals a system based on violence, corruption and control, in which ordinary citizens try to navigate, like they make the most out of the ruins of the city. For Kirkpatrick, present day Benghazi can be used as a mirror to understand Haftar, his politics and plans for Libya, and it appears essential to do so as Haftar and his armed forces are trying to take control of Tripoli, to ponder the potential outcomes of a victory by Haftar.Click here to read the article.
Turning to Benghazi to ponder the outcomes of a victory by Haftar in Tripoli