By Dan Boylan
Iran’s loss may be Libya’s gain. The prospect that U.S. sanctions will drastically curb Tehran’s oil exports is feeding interest in Libya’s oil reserves and has even sparked movement toward economic and political reform in one of the region’s most unstable states. Read More
By Tarek Megerisi
Instability resulting from Libya’s revolution and civil war has never fully come under control. It has worsened with political infighting, the failures of the GNA, and the emergence of a rival government in the east of the country. Read More
Tripoli’s Armed Groups Capture the Libyan State
By Wolfram Lacher and Alaa al-Idrissi
This Paper examines the rise of a militia cartel in Tripoli, and concludes that the situation is untenable, as it risks provoking a major new conflict over Tripoli fought by those who have been excluded from access to the state and impedes efforts to establish a meaningful unity government. Read More
Many Libyans and non-Libyans alike were surprised by the speech that Mustafa Abdul Jalil, president of the National Transitional Council that led the February 2011 revolution, improvised at the celebration of Libya’s liberation from Gaddafi’s regime held on October 23 the same year. Read More
By Tarek Megerisi
Instability resulting from Libya’s revolution and civil war has never fully come under control. It has worsened with political infighting, the failures of the GNA, and the emergence of a rival government in the east of the country. Read More
Tripoli’s Armed Groups Capture the Libyan State
By Wolfram Lacher and Alaa al-Idrissi
This Paper examines the rise of a militia cartel in Tripoli, and concludes that the situation is untenable, as it risks provoking a major new conflict over Tripoli fought by those who have been excluded from access to the state and impedes efforts to establish a meaningful unity government. Read More
Although there is agreement on national presidential and parliamentary elections being held in December so that the new officials can form a unified national government that might be soon enough. Read More
By Tarek Megerisi
Instability resulting from Libya’s revolution and civil war has never fully come under control. It has worsened with political infighting, the failures of the GNA, and the emergence of a rival government in the east of the country. Read More
Tripoli’s Armed Groups Capture the Libyan State
By Wolfram Lacher and Alaa al-Idrissi
This Paper examines the rise of a militia cartel in Tripoli, and concludes that the situation is untenable, as it risks provoking a major new conflict over Tripoli fought by those who have been excluded from access to the state and impedes efforts to establish a meaningful unity government. Read More
By Larissa Brown
Britain could send troops to Libya to train anti-terror forces to fight Islamic State after a request from the country’s military. Read More
Hafed Al-Ghwell
Libya is, without question, farther than ever from the rosy ideals preached on the eve of the February 2011 civil war. Read More
By Tarek Megerisi
Instability resulting from Libya’s revolution and civil war has never fully come under control. It has worsened with political infighting, the failures of the GNA, and the emergence of a rival government in the east of the country. Read More
By Mieczysław P. Boduszyński & Sabina Henneberg
May’s municipal elections in Tunisia had many commentators speculating about the future of the country’s ongoing democratic transition. Read More
By Tsvetana Paraskova
The latest port blockade in Libya, which had sent the country’s oil production plunging and oil prices surging, was lifted last week with new promises of transparency and the fair distribution of oil revenues. Read More
Tripoli’s Armed Groups Capture the Libyan State
By Wolfram Lacher and Alaa al-Idrissi
This Paper examines the rise of a militia cartel in Tripoli, and concludes that the situation is untenable, as it risks provoking a major new conflict over Tripoli fought by those who have been excluded from access to the state and impedes efforts to establish a meaningful unity government. Read More
By Aidan Lewis
After a relatively stable spell, Libya’s oil production has see-sawed again because of a standoff at eastern export terminals and the abduction of two workers at the giant Sharara oilfield. Read More
Tripoli’s Armed Groups Capture the Libyan State
By Wolfram Lacher and Alaa al-Idrissi
This Paper examines the rise of a militia cartel in Tripoli, and concludes that the situation is untenable, as it risks provoking a major new conflict over Tripoli fought by those who have been excluded from access to the state and impedes efforts to establish a meaningful unity government. Read More
By Danya Hajjaji
I was born into a family of Libyan swimmers. By “swimmers,” I do not mean Olympians in training. We were happy drifters in the most exquisite body of water this earth could offer. Read More
By Jim Armitage
Critics have long claimed the money is being stolen or funnelled to extremist Islamic groups. Read More
Tripoli’s Armed Groups Capture the Libyan State
By Wolfram Lacher and Alaa al-Idrissi
Overview: Since the arrival of the UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) in Tripoli in March 2016, four large local militias have gradually divided up the capital between themselves. Read More
By Colin Stevens
In the run-up to his visit to Libya this week, European Parliament president Antonio Tajani called on Europe to “speak with one voice” and collectively direct its efforts towards rebuilding a functioning state in what has otherwise become chaotic mess of rival factions and interested outside powers. Read More
By Jim Armitage
Corruption was endemic in the country under Colonel Gaddafi. But now, amid the chaos of military struggle, it overwhelms the whole fabric of the country Read More
With difficult and dangerous access, one’s picture of Libya tends to be based on conflict and crisis seen on the news. Some wouldn’t expect nature conservation to be on anyone’s agenda, yet it is alive and growing. We get the reaction from two conservationists that just returned from Libya. Read More
Russia is regaining influence in North Africa thanks to weapons, energy, and trade.
By Dalia Ghanem-Yazbeck & Vasily Kuznetsov
For the last decade and a half, Russia has sought to regain influence in North Africa. To strengthen its presence in a region that more commonly interacts with the United States and the European Union (EU), Moscow has shown an ability to seize opportunities through military cooperation, energy diplomacy, and trade. Read More
By Benoit Faucon, Jared Malsin, and Summer Said
United Arab Emirates officials have engaged in secret talks with a Libyan military commander seeking the Gulf state’s help in exporting Libya’s oil outside of United Nations-approved channels, Libyan, Emirati and European officials said. Read More
Libya today has become quite a persistent headache for the world community, in general, and Europe, in particular. Read More
Fatima Nasser’s new business had barely got off the ground when she was accused of being a foreign spy for giving women employment opportunities in Libya, her war-torn home country. Read More
Debate over Libya currently focuses on whether elections should be held in advance of a political agreement or to move forward in the absence of one. This debate is irrelevant. Read More
By Sir Vincent Fean
Libya has long been a country of contradictions. In Qadhafi’s time, a poster promoting tourism promised “Everything you can imagine, and everything you can’t imagine”. Read More
By Edward P. Joseph
Why make a new constitution and risk the failure of elections when the old constitution provides a solid, proven framework? Read More
By Francesca Mannocchi
Increasing numbers of Libyans are breaking a long-standing taboo and fleeing across the Mediterranean. Four Libyans explain why seven years after the revolution they must find a way out even if it means using smugglers. Read More
By Thierry Meyssan
Despite the good will of some of the participants, the Paris conference for Libya did not have the desired effects. Read More
The leader of the Libyan National Army (LNA), Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, has made a series of moves that have unsettled the international community, blocked the majority of Libya’s oil exports, and upended the domestic status quo.
By Emadeddin Zahri Muntasser and Dr. Mohamed Fouad
Whereas the ambitions of competing warlords fan the flames of conflict and consume the country’s oil resources, envoys from the UN and West to Libya continue to congratulate themselves for having said much but done little. Read More
By Karlos Zurutuza
The Madkhalists are growing in influence across Libya’s different warring factions, promising security and an Islamist future. Read More
By Jason Pack
Calling for elections in the absence of stable institutions while competing for diplomatic and economic influence won’t rebuild the country — it will destroy it. Read More