By Maha Sulaiman.
Benghazi, 15 April 2016:
Members of the Magharba and Awagir tribes met yesterday in Soloug, south of Benghazi, officially to . . .[restrict]create a new, closer relationship. However, the meeting has created a degree of anger in the east among Khalifa Hafter supporters.
The talks, which involved Government of National Accord proposed defence minister Mahdi Barghathi and Salem Jadhran, the mayor of Ajdabiya, are being seen by Hafter supporters as aimed primarily promoting a deal between Barghathi and Ibrahim Jadhran, Salem’s brother.
The Jadhran family are members of the Magharba while the Barghatha are part of the Awagir.
Ibrahim Jadhran, who supports Cyrenaica federalism but also the Government of National Accord and the Libyan Political Agreement, is an confirmed opponent of Hafter, himself opposed to federalism.
There has been criticism of the meeting on social media by Hafter supporters with questions being asked why Barghathi should do any deal with Jedhran.
In an indication of the deepening division in Cyrenaica between supporters of federalism and the army, the Hafter camp has also criticised the meeting as firmly pro-federalist. [/restrict]
