On the occasion of the 2022 World Cup, the State Public Works Company, which manages public spaces and is currently undertaking major projects in Tripoli and its suburbs, has installed screens in different districts of the city.

The most imposing is that of the park near the corniche on the sea, a few meters from the Place des Martyrs, where most football enthusiasts gather to watch the matches, free of charge.

A "positive initiative", welcomes AFP Walid al-Amari, who has not missed any meeting since the start of the competition on November 20.

In a country where distractions and leisure are rare, sport, especially football, attracts young and old who practice it diligently.

"Libyans are passionate about sport," says the 30-year-old, a former parliamentary candidate who wants to see the emergence of "a lucid youth" and aware that "politics only leads to division and chaos".

For 90 mins

Sitting on rows of white plastic chairs or on the grass, everyone is staring at the screen.

Some in their own bubble, others chat while children take advantage of the outing to be offered cotton candy and run in all directions.

Forget everything for 90 minutes...the time of a match.

The organizers have "seen right", believes Mr. Amari for whom the positive impact of this initiative offers, if only temporarily, an escape from "a political situation which has tired the Libyans".

"If there is happiness, it's in football", while on the political side, "we have closed the door forever", adds Mohamad Trabelsi, a 68-year-old retiree.

The latter welcomes "a wonderful gesture" in a difficult economic context: "there are so many families and young people who cannot afford to watch the World Cup on pay channels".

- Foreigners too -

Here at least, "it's free!" rejoices Mr. Trabelsi, happy to see hundreds of young people "gathered in a friendly atmosphere".

Even if he regrets that his country, however rich in oil, is unable to host a sporting event of such magnitude, like Qatar, the host country of the World Cup, which is full of gas.

"Our brothers and neighbors got ahead of us," he said, with a hint of bitterness, glancing at the screen which was just showing a match between Qatar and Senegal.

Since the fall of the regime of ex-dictator Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, Libyans have known no respite.

Libya descended into chaos and violence, with rival powers based in East and West, a myriad of armed militias and foreign mercenaries scattered across the country, amid foreign interference.

Universal language, even in Libya, football brings together beyond nationalities, generations or professions.

Ghanaians, Cameroonians, Ivorians, Algerians, Tunisians, Egyptians... they are also there, come with friends or family.

At nightfall, the park is crowded.

Khaled, an Egyptian, who works in Libya in construction, is happy to watch the matches "in the open air and by the sea" rather than being "locked up in cramped and noisy cafes".

© 2022 AFP