A little more than a week after the passage of storm Daniel, authorities in eastern Libya banned journalists from accessing the city of Derna, the most affected by the floods, and the Benghazi government requested Tuesday September 19 for journalists already present to leave the city. This announcement comes the day after a demonstration by the residents of Derna, who blame the power in place in the east of the country for the poor management of the disaster.
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The residents of Derna are demanding accountability from the authorities in eastern Libya, they made it clear on Monday, recalls Hasni Abidi, director of the Center for Studies and Research on the Arab and Mediterranean World: “ The demonstrators demanded the departure of all those responsible and, even better, to bring them to justice and they asked the attorney general, who is in Tripoli, to quickly open an investigation to determine the responsibilities. »
At the center of criticism: the mayor of the city, Abdulmonem Al Ghaiti, in particular for his contradictory messages before the storm, but also his mentor, Aguila Saleh, the president of Parliament, second personality in the east after Khalifa Haftar.
The exasperation of the inhabitants of Derna is all the greater as the population has been suffering for years, recalls the researcher.
“ The city of Derna is known for its resistance, it is a city which suffered, it suffered under Gaddafi but also after. It was placed under embargo for three years by Marshal Haftar, who suspected this city of being a platform for jihadists, while it was the inhabitants who revolted to chase the jihadists from their city. »
Abandoned, Derna was a devastated town even before the storm, summarizes Hasni Abidi. Today, its residents are calling for the reunification of the two Libyan governments.