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Libya

Libyan tribal structure eroding, analysts say

Despite his defiance, Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi appeared to be losing his grip on power on Wednesday as a popular uprising continued to erode long-held power structures.

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Several high-level Libyan officials, including ministers, diplomats and military officers, have abandoned the regime, announcing their support to the protesters.

02:18

Fawaz Gerges, London School of Economics

Alexandra Brangeon

But analysts say the political and tribal rivalries that Kadhafi has relied on to hold power are also crumbling.

"Some of the most influential tribes have basically joined the revolution," Fawaz Gerges, Libya specialist at the London School of Economics, told RFI.

"This is bad news, because Kadhafi has invested considerable capital in trying to appease and appeal to tribal leaders. He uses the tactics of divide and rule."

For decades, Kadhafi played tribes against each other through a combination of coercion and cooptation.

The emphasis on such logic was evident on Monday, when Kadhafi's son Seif Al-Islam warned Libya could descend into "civil war", implying clashes that have killed hundreds were tribal in nature.

But it appears the fighting has been drawn on lines between the regime and the people, regardless of tribal affiliations.

"Kadhafi had managed to create a balance between all the tribes and clans, but this system had already started to erode," said Delphine Perrin, a North Africa expert at the European University Institute in Florence, Italy.

But Gerges says Kadhafi still has a strong network of support.

"He has huge resources and bribes and cooptions. So he still has a limited base.

"Although his days are numbered, he's not going to go as easily as Ben Ali in Tunisia or Hosni Mubarak in Egypt."

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