Libya Friday began celebrating the first anniversary of the uprising that eventually ousted dictator Muammar Gaddafi from power after 42 years of an iron-fist rule, with fireworks, thousands of Libyan citizens in different cities chanting slogans and waving the flag that has become a symbol of the country’s new freedom. Most of the celebrations is centred on the eastern city of Benghazi, the birthplace of the February 17 Revolution, and though the country is still far from stable four months after the liberation from the clutches of the former brutal regime Weeks after the first spark of the revolution, backed by NATO, the then rebels managed to topple Gaddafi and the country is now trying to rebuild and use to the full the new-found freedom. Fresh check-points in the capital Tripoli, Benghazi, the eastern birthplace of the uprising, the western port city of Misurata and other towns to deter any Gaddafi loyalists still in circulation from distorting the celebrations. Libya's new rulers are organising official celebrations at a national level as a mark of respect for the thousands of people killed in the bloody conflict that saw Gaddafi captured and slain on October 20. But spontaneous commemorations began nationwide in cities and towns led by residents of Benghazi, the city that first rose against Gaddafi. Men, women and children came out on the streets of Tripoli, Benghazi, Misurata and other towns to take part initial celebrations as of Thursday by setting off fire crackers and chanting slogans. On Friday, Benghazi residents organised a function to formally celebrate the anniversary, which is to be attended by Libya's new leaders, led by National transitional Council chairman Mustafa Abdul-Jalil, and interim prime minister Abdurrahim el-Keeb and other members of the interim government and foreign and local dignitaries. Abdul-Jalil warned that the revolutionary spirt of Libya and its stability will not be compromised in any way. “We opened our arms to all Libyans, whether they supported the revolution or not. But this tolerance does not mean we are incapable of dealing with the stability of our country,” he said in a television address late on Thursday. “We will be tough towards people who threaten our stability. The thuwar (revolutionaries) are ready to respond to any attack aimed at destabilising" the country, Abdul-Jalil said. Expressing joy at the revolution, the happy people of Libya have been saying all along, they are celebrating freedom for the first time. It seems that although they are still far from achieving all that they are aiming for, that there are still challenges to face, and rowdy militias to tame, there is joy everywhere. Over 50,000 people are estimated to have been killed or wounded in the conflict, the country's vital oil production ground to a halt, and homes, businesses, factories, schools and hospitals were devastated. The challenges facing Libya's new rulers are manifold, including rebuilding an ageing and damaged infrastructure, and the cities that bore the brunt of the fighting, fostering vibrant state institutions, tackling a corrupt economy and boosting what are weak health, judicial and educational systems. The new rulers also need to control the tens of thousands of ex-rebels who have now turned into powerful and rival militias, who regularly clash with each other and cause fatalities. The have emerged as the biggest security threat for Libya as human rights groups and accuse them of torturing their prisoners, most of whom are former pro-Gaddafi fighters. Meanwhile, prime minister el-Keeb has acknowledged that integrating these militias into security services is a "complex" issue, but on Thursday said that about 5,000 of them had been integrated into the security services. Source: The Tripoli Post 17-02-2012