Mass graves in Libya's Tarhouna evoke fears of faltering peace push
October 13, 2021, 12:42 pm

Mass graves in Libya's Tarhouna evoke fears of faltering peace push

Libya-Car bombing/Shutterstock

The Fast Newz reported according to Reuters, staff within the Libyan metropolis of Tarhouna have spent greater than a 12 months exhuming our bodies from mass graves that present the price of a decade of battle and the excessive stakes of a fragile peace plan that has left victims on the sidelines.

Tarhouna was held by the native Kaniyat militia from 2012 till its seize final 12 months by pro-Tripoli authorities forces, leaving a grisly legacy that symbolises the North African nation’s misplaced decade of anarchy and violence.

As a peace course of has unfolded this 12 months geared toward holding each presidential and parliamentary elections, the folks of Tarhouna know they stand little likelihood of justice if Libya stays divided between warring factions.

However some additionally concern that the compromises required to cease the method falling aside may imply forgetting previous crimes and even elevating those that ordered or abetted them.

“They killed all who refused to cooperate with them. They left no kids or girls. They left nobody,” stated Mabrouka Saleh Abu Kleish, 76, describing the tyranny of a bunch, named for the native Kani household, that killed her brother and two sons.

Households of the lifeless and lacking congregate every Saturday on the principal roundabout of town, the place many buildings are nonetheless war-damaged and burned out, to hunt a fuller investigation and bolder efforts to deliver the killers to justice.

Not far-off, staff in white contamination fits are nonetheless uncovering our bodies from Tarhouna’s crimson soil, with 203 our bodies discovered and 52 recognized. Metropolis residents have filed 375 lacking individuals stories to this point.

Usama al-Suwaih, an engineering lecturer, was amongst these protesting. He stated the Kaniyat seized his brother from a Tripoli jail in 2013, introduced him again to Tarhouna and summarily executed him in his jail garments.

Two years later the militia fired on his household’s home with a tank, killing his father, he stated. His a part of the household fled, unable to return till the Kaniyat left final summer time. However in the meantime three of this brothers, two uncles and two cousins have been killed by the group, Suwaih stated. One was accused of not providing condolences to the Kaniyat upon a household demise.

He stated: “What made issues worse was the invention of mass graves in a garbage dump, which remains to be working."

MASS GRAVES

For the reason that 2011 NATO-backed rebellion that toppled Muammar Gaddafi, most of Libya has been held by armed teams that management territory, financial establishments and prison rackets, generally switching between the warring sides within the battle.

In recent times, the Kaniyat have been allied to Khalifa Haftar’s Libyan Nationwide Military (LNA), and after Tarhouna – round 65 km (40 miles) southeast of the capital Tripoli – fell in June 2020, they retreated with him again to the east of the nation.

Haftar’s navy defeat set in movement Libya’s newest peace effort, which features a ceasefire alongside an interim unity authorities and a push for nationwide elections in December.

The Authorities of Nationwide Unity in Tripoli is working with the state prosecutor and U.N. investigators, however Tarhouna households say progress in figuring out stays is gradual. Regardless of arrest warrants, the perpetrators stand past their attain.

Although Kaniyat chief Mohammed al-Kani was shot lifeless in July in Benghazi by an LNA unit, U.N. investigators have stated, most of his comrades stay at massive, and analysts have stated they’re within the east below LNA safety.

A spokesman for the LNA weren’t instantly accessible for touch upon the militia’s standing within the east, and no official there has made public touch upon the killing of Kani.

In the meantime, LNA chief Haftar, who’s seen by some Tarhouna townspeople as in the end liable for the later years of the Kaniyat’s bloody reign, has indicated he plans to run for president.

It’s a contingency that Abu Kleish can not brook – displaying how a peace course of that has allowed distinguished battle leaders to retain energy could do little to heal Libya’s divisions.

“In the event that they set up Haftar as a president, he’ll put your entire Libyan folks in mass graves,” she stated.

Suwaih and another Tarhouna residents concern the give attention to Haftar will divert consideration from the Kaniyat militia and imply that crimes it dedicated earlier than its alliance with the LNA can be brushed apart.

Nonetheless, he’s excited concerning the prospect of parliamentary elections – nonetheless an unsure prospect as factions wrangle over the principles – as a approach to change a political class that he says has turned a blind eye to abuse.

“Elections will deliver justice to the Tarhouna case,” he stated.

Source: thefastnewz

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BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, held its Annual General Meeting (AGM) at the company’s headquarters in the Seef District.
During the meeting, shareholders approved all items listed on the agenda, including the ratification of the minutes of the previous AGM held on 26 March 2024. The session reviewed and approved the Board’s Annual Report on the company’s activities and financial performance for the fiscal year ended 31 December 2024, and the shareholders expressed their satisfaction with the company’s operational and financial results during the reporting period.
The meeting also reviewed the Independent External Auditor’s Report on the company’s consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2024. Subsequently, the shareholders approved the audited financial statements for the fiscal year. Based on the Board’s recommendation, the shareholders approved the distribution of a cash dividend equivalent to 10% of the paid-up share capital.
Furthermore, the shareholders endorsed the allocation of a total amount of BD 172,500 as remuneration to the members of the Board for the year ended 31 December 2024, subject to prior clearance by related authorities.
The extension of the current composition of the Board was approved, which includes ten members and one CBB observer, for a further six-month term, expiring in September 2025, pending no objection from the CBB.
The meeting reviewed and approved the Corporate Governance Report for 2024, which affirmed the company’s full compliance with the corporate governance directives issued by the CBB and other applicable regulatory frameworks. The AGM absolved the Board Members of liability for any of their actions during the year ending on 31st December 2024, in accordance with the Commercial Companies Law.
In alignment with regulatory requirements, the session approved the reappointment of Ernst & Young (EY) as the company’s External Auditors for the fiscal year 2025, covering both the parent company and its subsidiaries—Sinnad and Bahrain FinTech Bay. The Board was authorised to determine the external auditors’ professional fees, subject to approval from the CBB, and the meeting concluded with a discussion of any additional issues as per Article (207) of the Commercial Companies Law.
Speaking on the company’s performance, Mr. Mohamed Al Bastaki, Chairman BENEFIT , stated: “In terms of the financial results for 2024, I am pleased to say that the year gone by has also been proved to be a success in delivering tangible results. Growth rate for 2024 was 19 per cent. Revenue for the year was BD 17 M (US$ 45.3 Million) and net profit was 2 Million ($ 5.3 Million).

Mr. Al Bastaki also announced that the Board had formally adopted a new three-year strategic roadmap to commence in 2025. The strategy encompasses a phased international expansion, optimisation of internal operations, enhanced revenue diversification, long-term sustainability initiatives, and the advancement of innovation and digital transformation initiatives across all service lines.
“I extend my sincere appreciation to the CBB for its continued support of BENEFIT and its pivotal role in fostering a stable and progressive regulatory environment for the Kingdom’s banking and financial sector—an environment that has significantly reinforced Bahrain’s standing as a leading financial hub in the region,” said Mr. Al Bastaki. “I would also like to thank our partner banks and valued customers for their trust, and our shareholders for their ongoing encouragement. The achievements of 2024 set a strong precedent, and I am confident they will serve as a foundation for yet another successful and impactful year ahead.”
Chief Executive of BENEFIT; Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi commented, “The year 2024 represented another pivotal chapter in BENEFIT ’s evolution. We achieved substantial progress in advancing our digital strategy across multiple sectors, while reinforcing our long-term commitment to the development of Bahrain’s financial services and payments landscape. Throughout the year, we remained firmly aligned with our objective of delivering measurable value to our shareholders, strategic partners, and customers. At the same time, we continued to play an active role in enabling Bahrain’s digital economy by introducing innovative solutions and service enhancements that directly address market needs and future opportunities.”
Mr. AlJanahi affirmed that BENEFIT has successfully developed a robust and well-integrated payment network that connects individuals and businesses across Bahrain, accelerating the adoption of emerging technologies in the banking and financial services sector and reinforcing Bahrain’s position as a growing fintech hub, and added, “Our achievements of the past year reflect a long-term vision to establish a resilient electronic payment infrastructure that supports the Kingdom’s digital economy. Key developments in 2024 included the implementation of central authentication for open banking via BENEFIT Pay”
Mr. AlJanahi concluded by thanking the Board for its strategic direction, the company’s staff for their continued dedication, and the Central Bank of Bahrain, member banks, and shareholders for their valuable partnership and confidence in the company’s long-term vision.