THE GRAFFITI began appearing just after the border crossing where Egypt ends and Libya begins. “Welcome to free Libya,” read one in blue scrawl. “We want freedom,” another. Minutes later, the sparse traffic – most of it heading in the opposite direction – came to a stop at a checkpoint manned by soldiers who have defected and armed young men in jeans and sweatshirts, their faces obscured by scarves.
“Free Libya, free Libya,” they chanted in unison, waving their guns in the air and dancing. One pulled out a poster of Muammar Gadafy and the others gathered around it, some posing as if to kick Gadafy’s bloated visage, others pointing their rifles at his bespectacled eyes or dangling handcuffs in front.
“Gadafy is a dog, Gadafy is a dog,” they yelled, jumping up and down. “Free Libya, free Libya.”
There are several such makeshift checkpoints along the road that leads from Egypt into eastern Libya, slicing through flat, sparsely populated scrubland lapped by the Mediterranean. Along the way are isolated low-slung block buildings, whipped by the sandy winds.
In the small dusty town of Mussaad, Eid Al Mabadi reflected upon a week he thought he would never see: a week during which, according to the opposition, most of eastern Libya was “liberated” from the Gadafy regime. The capital, Tripoli, where Gadafy still holds firm, is almost a 10-hour drive from here, and to locals who complain of marginalisation, it has always felt even further away.
“We are sure Gadafy will be gone from Tripoli too very soon,” Eid said. “People have been choking under his rule for more than 40 years but now we have tasted freedom.”
Nasr, an Egyptian living in the town, spoke proudly of how the toppling of Hosni Mubarak in neighbouring Egypt had inspired Libyans to rise up. “Gadafy has ruled for longer than even Mubarak,” he said. “Gadafy’s rule has been one of fear, but after Egypt the people are no longer afraid.” His words echoed those of another Egyptian, fleeing with his family and thousands of others over the border. “We had our revolution, now it looks like Libyans are going to get theirs too.”
Standing outside their grocery store in Mussaad, Sabir and Saad admitted the protests that began more than a week ago initially made them nervous. “We were worried about the chaos that might follow and the impact on the economy, but things seem to be moving quickly and people here believe the regime will fall soon,” said Sabir.
Many here say the eastern flank of the country was the first to fall because it long felt neglected.
“He kept everywhere else poor,” said Saad. “The oil money never reached us here.” There is a long way to go yet, admitted Sabir. Gadafy is still clinging to power and vowing bloody retribution. But “liberated” eastern Libya remains hopeful change is on its way.