Sabha, Libya
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Sabha or Sebha Template:IPAc-en (Template:Langx) is an oasis city in southwestern Libya,<ref name="MalcolmLosleben2004">Template:Cite book</ref> approximately Template:Convert south of Tripoli.<ref>Walt, Vivienne. "The Capture of Gaddafi's Son: The Reformer Who Refused to Reform Template:Webarchive." TIME. 19 November 2011. Retrieved 19 November 2011.</ref> It was historically the capital of the Fezzan region and the Fezzan-Ghadames Military Territory and is the capital of the Sabha District.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Sabha Air Base, south of the city, is a Libyan Air Force installation that is home to multiple MiG-25 aircraft.<ref>Libya: Ministry of Defense: Air Force: Air Order of Battle Template:Webarchive GlobalSecurity.org</ref>
Sabha was where the erstwhile ruler of Libya, Muammar Gaddafi, grew up and received secondary education and where he also later became involved in political activism.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> After the Libyan Civil War and the resultant instability in the country, Sabha reportedly grew in importance as a slave auctioning town.<ref name="emma">Template:Cite news</ref> However, an investigation by the National Commission for Human Rights in Libya (NCHRL) revealed that while there was illegal slavery, reports were exaggerated, as slave auctions were rare and not made public.<ref name=libyaobserver /> The city was seized by forces loyal to the Libyan National Army (LNA) and its leader Khalifa Haftar in January 2019,<ref name="aljazeerareports">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="actualdate">Template:Cite news</ref> but some politicians in the area switched their loyalty to the Government of National Accord (GNA) in May 2020.<ref name="auto">Template:Cite news</ref>
HistoryEdit
In historical times, Sabha was a major centre of the Libyan caravan trade.<ref name="DiPiazza2005">Template:Cite book</ref> Sabha Oasis, near Sabha, was the test site of OTRAG rockets, after launching was no longer possible in Shaba North in Zaire (now Democratic Republic of Congo). On 1 March 1981, an OTRAG rocket with a maximum height of Template:Convert was launched. It was also a remote test site for the Soviet Space program from 1984 to 1991.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
In a 2004 report by the International Atomic Energy Agency, the Sabha base was linked with Libya's nuclear weapons program.<ref>Griffiths, Katherine (2007) "Libya stalls on pledge to destroy stock of uranium" The Daily Telegraph 13 August 2007, p. 16</ref> In September 2011, Anti-Gaddafi forces seized Sabha as part of the Fezzan campaign.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> No sign of a nuclear weapons program was found.
In April 2017, BBC reported that there was a slave market for African migrants in Sabha.<ref name="bbcafricanmigrantssoldinlibya">Template:Cite news</ref>
In January 2019, forces loyal to LNA leader Khalifa Haftar launched an operation to take control of Sabha and were able to enter the city by the end of the month.<ref name="aljazeerareports" /> On 29 January 2019, it was announced that Haftar successfully captured Sabha.<ref name="actualdate" /> In February 2019, Haftar's forces were spotted patrolling the city's neighborhoods.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref name="actualdate" /> By May 2, 2020, politicians and activists loyal to the Tripoli-based government had announced their support of the GNA,<ref name="auto" /> and the city is currentlyTemplate:When under the control of pro-GNA municipal governments.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
ClimateEdit
Template:Climate chart Sabha has a hot desert climate (Köppen climate classification BWh). Summers are very hot, with temperatures reaching 40 °C regularly. Winters are mild with a high diurnal temperature variation. There is hardly any precipitation in the year with low (32%) humidity, and sunshine is abundant throughout the year. Template:Weather box
LandmarksEdit
Sabha is famous for the Fort Elena castle,<ref>Martin, B. G. (1984) "Ahmad Rasim Pasha and the Fazzan Slave Trade, 1881-1896" pp. 64-65 in Willis, John Ralph (ed.) (1984) Slaves and Slavery in Muslim Africa: The Servile Estate Cass, London, pp. 51-82, Template:ISBN</ref> which is the castle featured on the reverse of the ten dinars banknote of Libya. Fort Elena was previously known as Fortezza Margherita, built during the Italian colonial period. Currently the Italian-built fort is a military institution.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Sabha University is situated in the city. It has been involved with field studies in the desert.<ref name="Worsley2000">Template:Cite book</ref> There are numerous irrigation canals, which are used to provide freshwater for growing crops.<ref name="DiPiazza2005" />
TransportEdit
The city is served by Sabha Airport, which underwent expansion in the late 1970s.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> An Template:Convert long railway has been proposed from Sabha to the port of Misrata for iron ore transport.<ref>Xinhua News Agency (2008) "Chinese win Libya rail bidding" International Herald Tribune 19 February 2008, Finance Section, p. 13</ref>
Reports of slave auctionsEdit
In 2017, The United Nations Migration Agency reported that Sabha had turned into a modern-day slave auctioning town. Each slave (mostly migrants from countries to the south of Libya, especially Nigeria) was sold for around US$325, with reports up to 1000 such sales each month.<ref name="phil">Template:Cite news</ref> While this aspect of Sabha had been kept under check during the reign of Muammar Gaddafi, it raised its head again due to the turbulence in Libya caused by the civil war. Most of the migrants came here escaping equally tragic conditions back home in Burkina Faso, Nigeria and other neighbouring African countries.<ref name="emma" /> However, the National Commission for Human Rights in Libya (NCHRL) revealed that the media reports of slavery were exaggerated and that slave auctions were not public, as suggested by CNN.<ref name=libyaobserver>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The slave auctions which were discovered were revealed to be rare.<ref name=libyaobserver />
See alsoEdit
NotesEdit
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External linksEdit
Template:Sabha District Template:District capitals of Libya Template:Coord