National Transitional Council facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Libya
2011–2012
Flag Coat of arms
Anthem: Libya, Libya, Libya
Capital and largest city	Tripoli
Official languages	Arabic
Religion	Islam
Government	Unitary transitional government
Chairman
• 2011–2012	Mustafa Abdul Jalil
• 2011	Mahmoud Jibril
• 2011-2012	Abdurrahim El-Keib
Legislature	National Transitional Council
Historical era	2011 Libyan civil war
• Establishment	27 February 2011
• Fall of Tripoli	28 August 2011
• Death of Muammar Gaddafi	20 October 2011
• Handover of power to the elected General National Congress	8 August 2012
Currency	Libyan dinar (LYD)
ISO 3166 code	LY
Preceded by Succeeded by Libyan Arab Jamahiriya State of Libya

The National Transitional Council (NTC) was a special government set up during the 2011 Libyan civil war. It was created by the rebel forces who were fighting against the government of Muammar Gaddafi.

The NTC led Libya for about ten months after the war ended. They held elections for a new group called the General National Congress on 7 July 2012. The NTC then handed over power to this new elected group on 8 August 2012.

The NTC was officially announced in the city of Benghazi on 27 February 2011. Its main goal was to be the "political face of the revolution." On 5 March 2011, the council announced that it was the "only legal group representing the people of Libya."

An executive board, led by Mahmoud Jibril, was formed on 23 March 2011. In August 2011, the NTC released a plan called the Libyan interim Constitutional Declaration. This plan showed how Libya would become a constitutional democracy with an elected government.

Many countries around the world recognized the NTC as the official government of Libya. They even took Libya's seat at the United Nations. The NTC simply called the country "Libya." In September 2011, the UN officially recognized Libya by this name.

How the NTC Was Formed

The Uprising and Civil War

After big protests in nearby countries like Tunisia and Egypt, Libya also had a large uprising starting in February 2011. Soon, much of Libya was no longer under Gaddafi's control. Areas like Eastern Libya, especially around the city of Benghazi, were taken over by the opposition.

The opposition began to organize themselves into a working government. Anti-Gaddafi forces marched on Sirte, Gaddafi's hometown, in September 2011. The fight for Sirte ended on 20 October. This led to the capture of the town and the death of Colonel Gaddafi.

Early Steps to Create a Government

An opposition meeting in Bayda on 24 February 2011.

On 24 February 2011, different leaders met in the eastern city of Bayda. These included politicians, former military officers, and business people. The meeting was led by Mustafa Abdul Jalil, who had recently left Gaddafi's government. They talked about setting up a temporary government. Many people at the meeting asked for the UN to help Libya.

The next day, it was announced that Mustafa Abdul Jalil would lead the effort to form a temporary government in Benghazi. Jalil said that Gaddafi was responsible for the bad things that happened in Libya. He also stressed that Libya should stay united and that Tripoli was its capital.

Setting Up the National Council

The National Transitional Council was officially formed on 27 February. It was meant to be the "political face of the revolution." At first, the NTC said it was not a temporary government and did not want foreign countries to get involved. However, they later clarified that UN-approved airstrikes would not be seen as foreign intervention.

On 5 March, the council declared itself the "only representative of all Libya." Mustafa Abdul Jalil was named the chairman. On 10 March, France was the first country to recognize the NTC as Libya's only legal government.

Creating an Executive Board

On 23 March, the NTC created an executive board. This board would act as a temporary government for Libya. Mahmoud Jibril was chosen to lead this board. The NTC would be the "legislative body" (making laws), and the new Executive Board would be the "executive body" (carrying out laws).

Challenges in 2012

In January 2012, some people protested against the NTC in Benghazi. They wanted more openness about how money was spent. They also wanted officials from the Gaddafi era to be removed. Protesters even broke into the NTC headquarters.

The NTC Hands Over Power

On 8 August 2012, the NTC officially handed over power to the General National Congress (GNC). This happened in a ceremony in Tripoli. Mustafa Abdul Jalil stepped down as chairman. He passed his position to the GNC's oldest member, Mohammed Ali Salim. The NTC was then officially ended.

Hundreds of people gathered in Martyrs' Square in Tripoli. They held candles to show hope for peace. This transfer of power was important because it was the first peaceful transition of power in Libya's recent history.

What the NTC Wanted to Achieve

The NTC had several important goals when it was formed:

• Keep Libya's land and citizens safe.
• Work to free the rest of Libya from Gaddafi's control.
• Help local councils bring back normal life in cities.
• Oversee the military to protect the people and borders of Libya.
• Help elect a group to write a new constitution for the country. This constitution would then be voted on by the people.
• Form a temporary government to prepare for free elections.
• Manage Libya's relationships with other countries and international groups.

The NTC also promised to hold fair elections and create a national constitution. They wanted to build political groups and allow different ideas and opinions. They also promised to protect human rights and freedom of speech. The NTC said it was against racism and terrorism. They also stated that Tripoli was the capital and Arabic was the official language. They promised to protect the rights of ethnic and religious minorities.

The NTC's main goal was to set up a temporary government in Tripoli. Then, they would hold elections for a General National Congress to take their place. This new Congress would then choose a prime minister and oversee more elections for a permanent government.

How the NTC Was Organized

The Legislative Body

The National Transitional Council was seen by many as the "only legal group representing the people of Libya." It started with 33 members and grew to 51. There were plans to make it even larger.

Each city or town controlled by the opposition was given five seats on the council. The names of some members were kept secret to protect their families who were still in areas controlled by Gaddafi. Mustafa Abdul Jalil was the head of the council.

By September 2011, some NTC members were in Benghazi, while others had moved to the capital, Tripoli.

Council Members

The council included:

• Mustafa Abdul Jalil – Chairman of the council
• Mustafa Honi – Vice Chairman of the council
• Zubeir Ahmed El-Sharif – Representative for Political Prisoners
• Omar El-Hariri – Representative for the Military Council

Many other members represented different cities across Libya.

The Executive Board

On 5 March 2011, a crisis committee was formed to carry out the council's decisions. This became the Executive Board on 23 March 2011. It started with 15 members.

The executive board was later changed on 8 August 2011. This was due to issues investigating the death of General Abdul Fatah Younis, a Free Libyan Army commander. Chairman Mahmoud Jibril was asked to form a new board.

Executive Board Members (March–August 2011)

Before the changes in August 2011, the board members included:

• Mahmoud Jibril – Chairman and head of international affairs
• Ali Al-Issawi – Vice-chairman
• Jalal al-Digheily – Defence
• Ali Tarhouni – Finance and Oil

Executive Board Members (October 2011)

A new group of leaders was announced in October 2011. Mahmoud Jibril was the prime minister. Ali Tarhouni was the deputy prime minister, and Jalal al-Digheily was the defense minister. On 23 October, Jibril resigned after the civil war was declared over. Abdurrahim El-Keib then became prime minister on 31 October.

The executive board was officially ended on 22 November 2011. This happened when the Interim Government was formed, as required by the temporary constitution.

The Interim Government

El-Keib announced the new interim government on 22 November 2011. It included:

• Abdurrahim El-Keib – Prime Minister
• Mustafa A.G. Abushagur – Deputy Prime Minister
• Fawzi Abdel A'al – Minister of Interior
• Ashour Bin Khayal – Minister of Foreign Affairs
• Osama al-Juwali – Minister of Defense
• Hasan Zaglam – Minister of Finance
• And many other ministers for different areas like health, education, and oil.

Local Government Efforts

During the war, in Benghazi, a "local committee" of 15 members was formed. This group included lawyers and judges. Their job was to manage the city and provide public services. People also helped by directing traffic and collecting trash. A newspaper and two local radio stations were also started.

Similar "local committees" were set up in other cities controlled by the opposition.

The NTC's Armed Forces

The anti-Gaddafi forces were the armed groups that fought against Gaddafi's army. These forces were made up of military members who left Gaddafi's side and armed citizens. Their goal was to fight against Gaddafi's loyalists and hired fighters.

The National Liberation Army was the NTC's main military group. It was also known as the Free Libyan Army. They had a small air force called the Free Libyan Air Force, which used captured planes and helicopters.

Omar El-Hariri was the first military affairs minister for the NTC. Later, Jalal al-Digheily took over this role. On 1 April 2011, Abdul Fatah Younis was named the commander of the NTC's forces. This was done to make the fighting more organized. Younis died on 29 July 2011. Suleiman Mahmoud, his second-in-command, then became the army commander.

Relationships with Other Countries

     Libya      Countries that recognised the NTC as the sole legitimate representative of Libya during the civil war      Countries that have yet to formally recognise the NTC, but voted in favor of it to take Libya's UN seat      Countries that formally opposed recognition of the NTC at the UN      Countries that voted against the transfer of Libya's UN seat to the NTC

In July 2011, many countries agreed to work with the National Transitional Council. They saw it as the "legitimate governing authority in Libya." The NTC also received support from the Arab League and the European Union. On 16 September 2011, the United Nations General Assembly voted to give Libya's UN seat to the NTC. The African Union also officially recognized the NTC on 20 September 2011.

Mohammed El Senussi, who was a claimant to the throne of Libya, also supported the NTC.

While the NTC's forces fought on the ground, NTC chairman Mustafa Abdul Jalil worked to build good relationships with other countries. He even worked with the British government to arrange payments to victims of attacks that used weapons supplied by Gaddafi's old government.

Military Help from Other Countries

The United Nations Security Council Resolution 1973 allowed many countries to work together to create a "no-fly zone" over Libya. This meant that Gaddafi's planes could not fly there. On 19 March, air forces from Britain, France, and the US began attacking targets in Gaddafi-controlled Libya. This started the UN military intervention.

Later, NATO led these operations under something called Operation Unified Protector. Countries not part of NATO, like Jordan, Qatar, Sweden, and the United Arab Emirates, also helped with the military mission.

See also

• General National Congress
• Supreme Council of the Armed Forces