(Many links in my articles on Libya: http://theclearview.wordpress.com/2011/03/04/gaddafis-african-mercenaries-or-are-they-libyans-from-fezzan/ http://theclearview.wordpress.com/2011/03/08/libyan-tribes/ ).
Many of the tribes in Fezzan stretch across the southern borders and many there have dual Chadian/ Libyan citizenships. The tribes do not conform to colonialist boundaries that the Italians (and Ottomans) used to create Libya (as do few nation-states in Africa). The large Tuareg Berber group (largest in Fezzan) span from southwest Libya through Niger, Algeria and Mali ( http://www.temehu.com/tuareg-confederacies.htm). The black-skinned Tebu extend deep into Chad and somewhat into eastern Mali ( http://www.african-tribes.org/map-of-african-tribes-2502x2984.jpg). Plus there are many sub-Saharans who have settled in Fezzan after Qaddafi's open-boarder invitations to Africans and his futile dallying in conflicts in Chad and elsewhere. Again, Fezzan has benefited from Qaddafi's pan-Africanism, and economic development.
http://geocurrentevents.blogspot.com/2011/03/libyas-fezzan-bulwark-of-gaddafi-regime.html
"Recent growth here is associated instead with massive new irrigation facilities and with road-building and other infrastructural projects undertaken by the Libyan government. Some of this activity has been aimed at linking Libya more closely to sub-Saharan Africa, one of the cornerstones of Gaddafi’s ambitious foreign policy agenda.
"As of March 1, 2011, Fezzan remained firmly under the control of the Gaddafi regime, with no indication of rebel activity in any of its cities or towns."
>From Time - Fezzan Gaddafi troops in Cyenaica:
http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2056006,00.html
<http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2056006,00.html>"We were
afraid to go out because we are dark-skinned and we thought they would think
we're mercenaries and attack us."
And this from NowLebanon, which recognized Qaddafi's opposition to racial discrimination against Tebu: http://www.nowlebanon.com/NewsArchiveDetails.aspx?ID=246936
"There are dark-skinned Libyans in the south of the country who are largely loyal to Qaddafi because he did take steps to end systematic discrimination against dark-skinned Libyans," said Bouckaert.
* * On Sat, Mar 12, 2011 at 12:40 PM, ken hanly <northsunm at yahoo.com> wrote:
>
> I notice that there is virtually nothing said about what is happening in
> the
> Fezzan area of Libya as contrasted with Tripolitania or Cyrenaica. I assume
> it
> is probably controlled by pro-Gadaffi tribes. He went to school in a town
> in the
> area I gather. Most of it of course is desert but there are nearly half a
> million people.
>
> Cheers, ken
> ___________________________________
> http://mailman.lbo-talk.org/mailman/listinfo/lbo-talk
>
-- Peter Fay http://theclearview.wordpress.com
