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The Berber village known as Amazigh, rare to find a unit because they are one of the front coming to power of the Gaddafi regime

"Did you know that this is the year 2961?" I asked my driver as we drove by a circuitous route through the mountains. At first I thought he was joking, but went on to explain that the Amazigh calendar began in 950BC.

As we stopped at each checkpoint, which was struggling to understand what he told people there, it was shown a strange dialect of Arabic -. But I had no idea what any word meant

This recent meeting opened my eyes to a long-neglected ethnic culture in my own backyard in Libya. The Amazigh people (also known as Berbers) are descendants of Numidia and indigenous peoples of North Africa. Can be found from the Canary Islands in the Atlantic (where they were expelled during the conquest of the 15th century in Spanish) at the Siwa Oasis in Egypt.

The Amazigh of Libya are mainly located in the Jebel Nafusa (Western Mountains), which became the third front in a resistance movement on three fronts against the regime of Muammar Gaddafi.

Since coming to power and try to assume the mantle of Arab nationalism, Nasser, Gaddafi attempted to Arabize the Jebel Nafusa Amazigh. He tried to erase their cultural identity by banning their language.

"Why can not we have our own identity?" One of the elders of the city requested. "In Britain, with the people of Wales and Gaelic, each with its identity own unique argues that the British government. They even have a degree of political autonomy, but we're not even asking that question. I just want to be able to teach our children our culture and heritage. "

the lack of development and abandonment of the area is the way to 300 km of the border between Tunisia and Libya, Cross Wazin Dheiba garrison town of Gharyan. "It's like the Italians left," said one of the revolutionaries who were guarding a checkpoint, referring to the colonial era.

Indeed, despite their lack of resources, the revolutionaries have done more to develop in this way in the last month Gaddafi has in four decades. While driving near the white line Irheybaat usual in the middle of the street become runway markings. On both sides of the road to the runway lights at the end there was a windsock.

improvised This airport is used for members of the National Transitional Council to visit the region and enable the delivery of basic supplies (although no confirmation if it has been used for military supplies).

the rich culture of Amazigh has found new life since the beginning of the uprising. Not only that, but he also acted as a unifying force for the region with the troops of Gaddafi.

With this device in hand, the Amazigh have successfully resisted much better equipped and advanced mechanized battalions force Gaddafi. The remaining inhabitants of Yefren, Qala-Kikla and told me how, for over two months around April and May, who resisted the advance of government troops to his superior knowledge of the terrain.