Geo World

Café set up for revolutionary heroes in Misrata

BIN GHAZI: A few miles behind the front line west of Misrata, rebel fighters can pause at an impromptu service station for a coffee, snacks or an oil change - all provided free of charge by the people of Libya's third largest city Abu Ahmed, who setup and runs the catering side of the operation in Dafniya west of Misrata with a friend and a cousin said most of the supplies are not paid for, member of the public supply to the thowar. "Thowar" means "revolutionary" in Arabic and features in the name of his outfit - Makhar Abtal Thowar Misrata, or the Misrata Revolutionary Heroes' Cafe. Just minutes earlier a man had pulled up with a truck full of melons to hand out and rebel fighters fresh off the frontline after a long, hot day in the sand walked away with as many as they could carry. Ahmed, who used to work for an oil company, no he hands out free coffee to rebels heading to the frontline around 36 kilometres (22 miles) west of Misrata. "Instead of going to a café in the centre of the city, they stop in this cafe and then continue to the front line," said Abu Ahmed. Those forces are now around 10 km from Zlitan, the largest city between here and the capital Tripoli. The Misrati, or people of Misrata, drop off homemade cakes, sweets, coffee, water, juice at the cafe every day and Ahmed said they serve around 2,000 free coffees a day to anyone who wants one. Mahmoud Misrata, a businessman before the uprising, runs the mechanical side of the operation. Other than an initial investment in machinery - an air pump for tires and a machine for changing oil - local people donate the oil. He said frequent oil changes were necessary on the front line because of the heat and sand here. The two men have lived in the West and gave assumed names as they said they have property and friends in Tripoli and fear Gaddafi's government would harm both. The young men who stop here grab coffees and snacks and relax for a while at the end of day in the line. One young fighter who gave his name as Mohammed said that as many of his comrades were civilians at the start of the uprising, "It feels almost like after a day after school," said Mohammed, 20, a university student when the uprising came. "Here I can think about today before I go home." Another, who gave his name as Abdulaziz, said this gesture from the Misrati had boosted his morale. "It reminds me why I fight," he said. When asked what he did before the uprising, Abdulaziz ran a hand through his curly hair and said "not very much" to laughter from his friends. Ahmed said the entire operation is looking for a new location closer to the front line - which moved forward 6 km last week - so that fighters don't have to travel so far before they can have a coffee. Utility workers were working to restore power closer to the front line, he said. As he spoke, a loud cheer went up from the assembled, relaxing revolutionaries as a large utility vehicle headed west toward the front to restore power, workers seated along the sides. "Something wonderful has awakened inside the people of Misrata," Ahmed said. "They are not afraid anymore." "They have everything to fight for," he said. "But Gaddafi's men, they fight for nothing." (Reuters)