( CNN ) -- While the Zintan militia leads the battle for control of Tripoli 's airport , another set of militia and radicalized Islamist insurgents in the east are threatening a fragile Libya . The increasingly unstable political and social climate in the country is indicative of a weak and ineffective government that is failing to answer internal security concerns as well as the basic aspirations of its citizens . For these reasons primarily do the Zintan militia and renegade General Khalifa Haftar feel they have a mark to make in the security and political vacuum left by a corrupt and inept national government . While politicians in the highest echelons continue to siphon the country 's oil wealth , the armed militias in response are taking over oil terminals in the east , including Marsa al Hariga . Haftar , a Libyan exile since 1987 , returned to his home city of Benghazi from the United States , and was frequently seen in the city 's old courthouse , the headquarters of the revolution in the east . Along with the former NTC Chairman Mustafa Abdel Jalil , Haftar directed and advised in the crucial months of the revolution . As a retired General , many Libyans are unsure of the longer-term motives and personal ambitions of a man who once attempted to overthrow Moammar Gadhafi . It is no small irony that Haftar , like the rebel militias that are still fighting for control of strategic bases in the country , is directly contributing to the instability of the country and undermining what little authority the government possesses . From Sirte to Tobruk , and down to the border with Chad , there is no effective government influence . While elders in Benghazi want to negotiate with the Islamist fundamentalists , Haftar will not . His imposed policy is for these insurgents to surrender or be killed . Recently , a car bomb was detonated outside Haftar 's house , killing and injuring many . Like the brutal murder of Salwa Bugaighis on June 25 , 2014 , it is a further sign of the dangerous pitch of instability that the country has reached . Ordinary Libyans are now owning and bringing guns into their homes . Friends in Libya tell me the feeling of insecurity has permeated every household and shows no signs of abating . Meanwhile , the government is continuing to fail to live up to its promises and has not provided security or jobs to ordinary citizens . At the same time , the quest for a secular society also continues , albeit whilst people purchase guns for their households and politicians steal the country 's revenues . The United States , Britain and Europe can not afford Libya to become a failed state like Somalia . The division of Libya into east and west is not a viable option and is not in the long-term interests of Libyans or wider regional security . This debate does however highlight the old argument that the majority of the country 's oil revenues still continue to go to Tripoli and surrounding areas . Libya can be pulled back from the brink , but , the West must not leave Libya to its own ( current ) inept devices . The government and the military need continued specialist training , advice and resources to fight the Islamist insurgents and the disparate rebel militias across the country , and to face the new security threats coming from the south and the Middle East . This process has already begun , with the United States ' capture of the leader of the attack on the American Embassy in Benghazi in September 2012 , which killed Ambassador Stevens . The international community also needs to put pressure on the Libyan government to weed out endemic corruption . The Libyan leadership need to maintain democratic credibility , unlike the last prime ministerial run that necessitated the intervention of the Supreme Court to rule the appointment of Ahmed Mitig as Prime Minister as illegal , to order that a new election be held , this time with a full Parliament in session . The struggle to tackle armed groups in Libya continues , and it simply can not be left to one renegade general to remove Islamic insurgents and keep armed militia groups in check . The views expressed in this commentary are soley those of Sara ElGaddart .
Zintan 's instability is indicative of an ineffective government , says ElGaddari . General ElGaddari and the Libya militia are stepping into the power vacuum , she says . But Sara ElGaddari says Haftar and rebel militias are directly contributing to Libya 's instability . She says the international community can not let Libya fail and must help its government .