Libya's criminals undermine attempts to prop up a collapsing state
4/21/2015
It's not just people-smuggling rackets, but also black markets in weapons, drugs and any other goods that need to avoid government supervision and taxation
Libya is replacing Sicily as the main focus for organised crime in the central Mediterranean area. The world has become conscious of people-smuggling from Libya and its appalling consequences, but other criminal rackets operating in the country include black market trading in weapons, heroin and cocaine, pharmaceuticals and any goods that need to avoid government supervision and taxation.
After the overthrow of Colonel Muammar Gaddafi in 2011 by a popular rebellion backed by Nato, the Libyan state collapsed and has never been replaced. There are two rival governments based in Tripoli and Tobruk, but political and military power is fragmented within this vast country, the 17th largest in the world though its population only numbers 6.5 million.
Libyan militias battle for political power and their differences are often ascribed to tribal, religious or geographical loyalties exacerbated by proxy conflicts reflecting the aims of foreign backers. But Mark Shaw and Fiona Mangan, authors of Illicit Trafficking and Libya’s Transition, issued by the United States Institute of Peace, emphasise how organised crime and illegal trafficking is undermining efforts to stop the further disintegration of the state. They say that heavily armed militias protect their interests by making sure that central government authority is not restored because profits “from trafficking and smuggling empowers them”. They add that a detailed review of the country’s emerging criminal economy shows that it is a primary factor in preventing the restoration of order. Different forms of criminal activity are becoming inter-connected. Mr Shaw and Ms Mangan say that “migrant smuggling is increasingly connected to drug trafficking – some West Africans pay for their transport by carrying small quantities of drugs, including both heroin and cocaine”.
Libya’s immensely long frontiers in the Sahara were never well-guarded under Gaddafi and there were long-established smuggling routes by which migrant labourers from countries like the Gambia, Senegal, Mali, Nigeria, Sudan, Somalia and Eritrea moved north. But under Gaddafi there were plenty of jobs available in Libya for migrants. Libyans today often work as drivers and guides. Immigrants work in Tripoli or other cities to earn money to pay for the next stage in what they hope is their journey to Europe.
http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/libyas-criminals-undermine-attempts-to-prop-up-a-collapsing-state-10193499.html