Libya: Treatment of members of the Al-Nawa'il tribe; availability of state protection (2012-2013)

Information on the treatment of members of the Al-Nawa'il tribe [also spelled Nawa'il, Nwâiyl, Nwâyil, Nuwail] could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response. However, the following information may be useful.

In correspondence with the Research Directorate, a research fellow at the Italian Institute for International Political Studies (Istituto per gli Studi di Politica Internazionale, ISPI), who specializes in Libya and has written on the role of tribal dynamics in Libyan politics, indicated that the Al-Nawa'il tribe resides near the Tunisian border and was very politically aligned with the former leader of Libya, Moammar Qaddafi (27 Sept. 2013). Corroboration for this statement could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response.

A genealogical chart of the tribes of Libya provided by the research fellow indicates that the "Nwâiyl" tribe belongs to the Arab al-Gharb ("Arabs of the West") branch of tribes, located to the west and southwest of Tripoli and belonging to the Banu Dabbâb, which is in turn a subgroup of the Bani Salim tribes (Research Fellow 27 Sept. 2013).

In correspondence with the Research Directorate, an independent scholar who has published numerous books on Libyan politics provided information on the "Nwaiyl" tribe, which, according to him, was likely the same as the "al-Nawa'il" tribe (Independent Scholar 3 Oct. 2013). The independent scholar indicated that the Nwaiyl reside along the Tunisian border, in and around the Nafusa mountains, a generally Berber [Amazigh] area (Independent Scholar 3 Oct. 2013). However, he stated that the Nwaiyl are "variously described as an Arab or Berber" tribe, noting that there is a "big difference" between Arab and Berber peoples (ibid.). Corroborating information could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response.

The independent scholar stated that "there is very little information available on the 130 or so tribes in Libya, especially the smaller ones, and most of the information that is available dates back to the Italian colonial era as the Qaddafi regime did not encourage this kind of research" (25 Sept. 2013).

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim for refugee protection. Please find below the list of sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

References

Independent Scholar. 3 October 2013. Correspondence with the Research Directorate.

_____. 25 September 2013. Correspondence with the Research Directorate.

Research Fellow, Istituto per gli Studi di Politica Internazionale (ISPI). 27 September 2013. Correspondence with the Research Directorate.

Additional Sources Consulted

Oral sources: Attempts to contact researchers specializing in Libya at the following institutions were unsuccessful: Atlantic Council, Centre d'études et de recherche sur le monde arabe et méditerranéen, Institut interdisciplinaire d'anthropologie du contemporain - Centre national de la recherche scientifique in France, University of Bayreuth.

Internet sites, including: Africa Confidential; Africa Research Bulletin; Le Centre tricontinental; ecoi.net; Factiva; Libya Herald; Minority Rights Group International; United Nations - Integrated Regional Information Networks; United States - CIA World Factbook, Department of State; Wall Street Journal.