Basit Igtet’s Vision-Plan for Libya’s Security

Welcome to the Basit Igtet Medium page. This blog post is set out further details of Basit Igtet’s 10 point action plan on the key areas for Libya’s security.

DISARMING THE MILITIAS

• The core requirement is that militia members do not feel they are giving up something for nothing in return.
• Some militia members may be willing to return to civilian life, particularly if they have a trade or skill.
• If militia members are to be integrated into the new Libyan police and army they should not be incorporated as formed units — they should join and be trained as individuals as well as being assessed and promoted on individual merit.
• The need is to gain control of distinct areas so that secure bases are established and then expanded until eventually, they all link up.

Current situation

The challenge to central government posed by Libya’s militias is not unique today or in the recent past. In the future, whatever the outcome in Syria, unregulated armed groups will undoubtedly continue to pose a threat to the government in Damascus whatever it’s the composition or political make-up.

Militia groups may have unrealistic and unrealizable aspirations but as long as they remain formed and motivated and have a secure base from which to operate — which may be deep forests, remote deserts, or even the crowded alleyways of a major city slum — they remain a threat, says Basit Igtet. Following any major conflict or protracted insurgency, unregulated stocks of weapons and ammunition proliferate but they now need to be given up in exchange for peace and prosperity.

Understanding the militias’ motives

The motives for a man or woman joining and remaining in a militia is complex. Initially, there may have been a desire to see the right wronged or a country or region liberated. Unfortunately, once this was achieved the attraction of staying in the group remains powerful.

For the individual who may have had a humble peacetime job with limited prospects, there is a heightened sense of self-esteem and a sense of belonging. To be wearing combat clothing and carrying an AK assault rifle can be very alluring if you are a young man. A title or role — heavy weapons expert, sniper, radio operator, medic, or driver conveys added status within the group.

This creates an environment in which a man without a gun can feel vulnerable. The group exerts a powerful hold on the individual — in essence, nobody wants to let their friends down. In a country at peace, this group loyalty can be found among football fans or perhaps members of a local sports team. In a country in conflict, it is far stronger as it is reassuring to know that you have friends watching your back and you are watching theirs. If you decide to leave there is a genuine fear that you will be left on your own — a traitor to your friends and an easy target for your enemies.

The other attraction of being in a militia is the easy money it affords from robbery or commandeering. This was brutally summed up in 1998 in the West African state of Sierra Leone when an orgy of looting by the brutal Revolutionary United Front was simply dubbed “Operation Pay Yourself”, Basit Igtet added.

Finally, a group needs a leader and his, or her, style can be charismatic and, or coercive. However the various groups are held together, it is to these leaders and their followers that we need to engage and inspire with hope for a better future. One which no longer requires their taking law and order into their own hands but instills in them the confidence to place that power where it rightfully belongs, in a responsible government that will dutifully protect the rights of all.

Short term actions

In French Indo-China (later Vietnam) General Joseph-Simon Gallieni evolved a counterinsurgency tactic called the “oil stain”. The concept is to gain control of distinct areas as a secure base. Once established, they are expanded eventually to link up. Like a stain of oil or ink on a piece of paper, they eventually join together to form larger secure areas which in turn expand.

The coercive element can only work when strong and honest police and army are in place. Good and reliable pay will ensure that there is limited scope for bribery or corruption and will also attract former militia members. The police and army offer security to the citizens in the areas controlled or terrorised by the militia and this will bring popular pressure to bear on the group to disband. Once we have the people’s support, a strong police force coordinating with a well-equipped army, the militias will know that in a straight fight they will lose.

Incentives

While a strong army and police force are important, they will take time to build in Libya. There is, therefore, a need for a positive incentive for the militias to disband. At the end of World War II, Allied army intelligence laid out a programme for disarming partisan groups in recently liberated areas of Italy. The key requirement was to ensure that weapons were handed in — however, this should be done within the context of a grand parade, in which the role of the partisans was acknowledged by a senior Allied officer. The men and women in the partisan groups then marched off with a band playing to receive boots and clothing as they handed in their weapons.

The core requirement to successfully disarming the militias is that the members need to feel that they are not giving up something for anything. They have to know that they personally have a vital role to play in the new Libya. We need their energy and conviction but we need to ensure that it is directed into positive opportunities to contribute to Libyan society.

In some cases, militia members may be willing to return to civilian life particularly if they have a trade or skill — however, for others, the comradeship of being in an armed group will continue to exert a hold. If they are to be integrated into the new Libyan police and army they should not be incorporated as formed units — they should join and be trained as individuals. A group will pose a challenge to the existing command structure and therefore undermine discipline and morale.

If militias are composed of Libyans this process will be easier. Where they are made up of foreign fighters and Jihadists with their own agenda for the country this will be much more challenging. Once the militias have been re-integrated, they should be provided with national identity papers to re-enforce their own sense of citizenship and to contribute to a more accurate national database for future policy planning purposes.

Step 1 — identify which militias to target for disarmament.

Step 2 — reintegrate militias into civil society — offer incentives such as privileged vocational training and apprenticeship programs. Offer Post Traumatic Stress counselling, or reintegrate militias into police/military — assessed on the basis of individual merit. They must be Libyan citizens and willing to take the oath of loyalty to the new Libya.

Step 3 — Take control of and build security in zones and let their success encourage others in region to join up.

Step 4 — Register/ sign up to national identity records to allow updating of national statistics for future planning.

Long term actions

Porous national borders and the mobility afforded by 4x4 vehicles may mean that these foreign militias remain a threat. However, if they are confined to remote areas of the Sahara, central government may have to live with “an acceptable level of violence” as was the situation in Northern Ireland during the Troubles.

Disarmament will take time but if militias can be excluded from cities and the economically critical oil fields and pipelines, the process of rebuilding and reconstructing the country will be on a firm footing.

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RELATED ARTICLE: Basit Igtet’s 10 Point Action Plan for Libya

Basit Igtet is a Swiss-based entrepreneur and diplomat with extensive business experience and a strong track record of political action. A driven leader, he has made a name for himself as a man of action with an analytical mind, a passion for people, and an extensive network of influential global figures. Learn more about Basit on the Basit Igtet About.me page and follow Basit’s news on the Basit Igtet blog here.