off buildings, in contrast to the elegant corniche in the capital Tripoli, 700 km (400 miles) to the west

“Libyans had the dream of a new country after the revolution but security, health and education services are deteriorating day by day,” Jathran said

After blocking oil sales worth at least $5 billion, Jathran is threatening to escalate his confrontation with the government by trying to sell crude directly to the market, bypassing what he calls the corrupt oil ministry.Like many in the underdeveloped east, he wants to split the country into three self-governing parts along tribal lines going back to the time before independence in 1951. Libya was then divided into the eastern Cyrenaica region, a western part with Tripoli as its capital, and Fezzan in the south

To make thiswas rewarded after the uprising against Gaddafi with the command of the Petroleum Security Guards in charge of protecting ports and oilfields, places he had taken from Gaddafi’ s troops in the east

Then bearded and dressed in military uniform – these days he is clean shaven and wears a black designer suit and tie – Jathran commanded the “Hamza” brigade, which fought along the coast from Ajdabiyah to the Sirte area, Gaddafi’ s homeland

Jathran’sfamily were initially given weapons and money from the Gaddafi government, which hoped he would help put down the insurgency

But instead his men joined the rebels, a former fellow fighter told Reuters

Angry, like many ordinary Libyans, at Tripoli’s failure to provide development and security, Jathran decided in the summer to become a rebel again and