Abd-Rabbo al-Barassi
Abd-Rabbo al-Barassi (Arabic: عبد ربّه البرعصي) is the self-declared head of the government of Barqa, the easternmost area of Libya. Promoting a federalist agenda, he was appointed on 3 November 2013 in a meeting at Ajdabiya. The central government of Libya, located in Tripoli, does not recognize his authority or Barqa's autonomy.[1]
Albarrassah is the largest tribe in Libya. It is well known in Libya as many of the Albarrassah tribe defended Libya in many wars over three centuries. They were top fighters with Libya's Omar Mukhtar against the Italians. Many of members of the Albarassah were killed defending Libya during the Italian invasion. Dictator Muammar Gaddafi was married to Safia Farkash Albarrasey, a nurse who was from the Albarrassah tribe to win over the Barrassah. People from the Barrassah tribe knew Gaddafi's tricks and they rejected him for 42 years. Gaddafi has jailed and killed large number of Albarrassah tribe members. Yet the Barrassah never gave in to Gaddafi. Albarrassah were a huge part of freeing Libya in the Libyan Civil War on February 17, 2011 when Gaddafi was removed.
Some say the Barrassah population number is at least around 900,000 members mostly on the Eastern part of Libya. Some also live outside of Libya in exile. Libya's population is nearly 7 million.
- ↑ East Libya movement launches government, challenges Tripoli. Retrieved 2013-11-04.