Among the crumbling remains of the city Muammar Gaddafi once favored as the “capital of Africa”, frustration is simmering. Four months after Libya's leader met his end in his hometown Sirte, the fishing village he turned into a model city lies in ruins. Having once enjoyed the patronage and cash of the Gaddafi clan, Sirte is now struggling to adapt to the realities of the new Libya. Its residents say they feel sidelined by the North African country's postwar rulers.Sirte's experience raises questions of whether the new Libya can embrace the many communities across the country which did not back the revolt — out of fear, because they supported Gaddafi, or for whatever reason — as well as those who did. “We feel that there is no one taking care of us, that we are not important to the government nor the National Transitional Council,” 52-year-old Mohammed Salem said. “We are living in a terrible state — the houses we live in are severely damaged. It's dangerous. They didn't come to visit us nor meet families to help end the suffering here.”
