(Author: Libyan Gazette Editorial Staff)
Over 20 people were killed when fighting between rival tribes broke out after a young girl was attacked by a monkey in the southern city of Sabha, said medical officials on Sunday.
According to Nasser Al-Jehimi, a medial official from Sabha’s medical centre, 21 people have died and 100 others were injured in the fighting between the rival tribes since Tuesday.
Following the assault, the young girl’s family vowed to seek revenge and followed through by killing three young men and the monkey that assaulted the her.
The young girl had her headscarf pulled by a monkey who is said to have also scratched and bitten the her.
The monkey was accompanied by three young men belonging to the Guedadfa tribe, the same tribe that Muammar Gaddafi belonged to.
The fighting between Awlad Suleiman and Guedadfa, the two rival tribes, lasted for days. The two rival tribes have been at odds with each other for years.
Some reports indicate that heavy weapons, such as rockets, tanks and mortars, were used in the clashes, and a number of houses were struck with rockets and shells said witnesses.
It is likely that the death toll is much higher than 20 as the only tribe to report casualties was Awlad Suleiman.
The civil unrest after the 2011 uprising left the country, which had been under the corrupt leadership of dictator Muammar Gaddafi for over four decades, in absolute chaos and instability.
During Gaddafi’s rule, Libya’s judicial system was known for its corruption which prompted the Libyan people to take matters into their own hands by engaging in civil disobedience in the 2011 uprising. A precedent was set and Libyans became used to seeking their own retribution instead of relying on a judicial system in the face of increasing political turmoil and overall instability in Libya.