Unsustainable Instability in Libya (original) (raw)
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Libya – Road to Dysfunctionality
Politeja
The developments of the Arab Spring of 2011 extended, among others, to Libya. As a consequence of the armed anti-government uprising supported militarily by the air forces of the Western powers (under the auspices of NATO), the regime of Colonel Muammar al-Qaddafi, who has controlled the state since the 1969 military coup, was overthrown. The collapse of the current regime has initiated the path to the social, political and economic transformation of the Libyan state. However, the rivalry of local political forces which is a reflection of tribal, regional and ideological divisions, prevented the emergence of an effective political system. As a result, Libya has evolved into a dysfunctional state and the processes of internal destabilization and lack of state borders control generate threats also for the international environment of the country (West Africa, East Africa, Europe).
LIBYA: RELAPSE IN TO CRISIS AFTER MUAMMAR GADDAFI (SINCE 2011
The world saw a great revolution sparked in Tunisia, anchored in deep rooted political, economic and social factors as well as the emergence of social media networks, ultimately igniting the Arab Revolution of 2011. At the end of the year, three long tenured undemocratic rulers, Ben Ali, Hosni Mubarak, and Muammar Gaddafi were removed from power in Tunisia, Egypt, and Libya respectively. In Libya, a full scale eight months of civil war, the intervention of the international community, the death of a dictator in the Libyan 'February 17 Revolution' of 2011, followed, unlike states in the region that have been in a similar pattern, by long lasting instability which is still unsolved. The UN has been following the case of Libya closely, since the outbreak and its attempt to mediate for peace among different factions in the post-revolution crisis was commendable in the midst of the problem of inclusiveness. Lack of inclusiveness in the establishment of the Government of National Accord in 2015/16 is boosting the current threat of Libya called ISIS/L. Those who were disappointed with the establishment of the government and power division are joining the terrorist groups. So, composition of the new governments should be reconsidered. Factors caused and exacerbated post-Gaddafi Libyan crisis are basically attributed to pre and post-revolution conditions that are related with the legacy of administration of Gaddafi, geographical and ethnic composition of the state, thirsty for power, external actors role or intervention and, most importantly, the weakness of transitional government. The state is failing due to the death of national identity. Fractured state security and deteriorating economy caused civilians either leave their home or live under miserable conditions. Not only the state, the crisis or civil war has been highly affecting the security, socioeconomic and political conditions of the broader region. It was this issue, which inspired this work to provide an in-depth analysis on basic factors contributed for the relapse of Libya into security, social, economic and political crises after the death of Gaddafi in 2011. In conclusion, the paper has forwarded the way out for Libya.
Libya's Contemporary Instability and its Effect on Regional Stability: Africa as a Case
The subject of this paper examines the many risks that threatened the African coast and the Maghreb region, the explosion of disputes in the area and ultimately the fall of Muammar Gaddafi that has led to the instability of the entire coastal area, while the war in Libya adds more dismay to the scene and multiplies these risks [7]. The research reveals the indicators of how this space however, acts as a relatively safe haven for the network of international armed groups that find all the facilities needed for military training, recruiting fighters, carrying out assassinations, suicide bombings, suicide attacks and kidnappings, and building training camps. Additionally, the region is considered fragile in terms of security as illegal activities are easy to carry out, including arms trafficking, drugs, cars, and trafficking of persons. It is also possible to bury nuclear waste, form radical Islamist groups, illegal immigration, and money laundering. The paper attempt to analyze the instability in Libya and it's adverse effect on Africa's security and stability and factional roles being played by international actors. The study therefore concludes that, the contemporary problem of the lack of security in Libya negatively impacts the path to peace and stability and it seriously hinders the establishment of political and administrative institutions, which also contributes to the increase in crime and activities of radical groups in the region. The author among others recommend that the best outcome for Libya lies in reaching a negotiated power sharing agreement and a consensual political-economic way forward that could decisively 2 reverse the country's negative trajectory and put it on a pathway toward unity and prosperity.
Libya's Untold Story: Civil Society Amid Chaos
Crown Center Middle East Brief, 2015
Two Parliaments and two governments1—neither of which is exercising any significant control over people and territory; two coalitions of armed groups confronting one another and conducting multiple overlapping localized conflicts; thriving organized crime, kidnappings, torture, targeted killings, and suicide bombings; and an increasing number of armed groups claiming affiliation to ISIS (also known as Da’esh): These are powerful reasons to portray Libya as the epitome of the failure of the Arab Spring. The country is sliding into a civil war, and a functional Libyan state is unlikely to emerge anytime soon. By all measures and standards, the Libyan democratic transition appears to have been derailed.
Libya: A Case Study of a Failed Revolution
2015
The anti-Qaddafi movement that had spontaneously combusted the Libyan revolution in February 2011 was a demonstration of a leaderless revolutionary spirit that rejected the old political elite and state institutions altogether. Thuwar, or revolutionaries, came to represent an unorganized and unofficial vanguard of that spirit. These overwhelmingly young people vetted their frustrations, anger and disappointment through ever increasing violence as they were met with Qaddafi’s security and military forces. The Western power’s kneejerk reaction to the rapid deterioration of security situation in Libya during August 2011 to intervene militarily (under the approval of the united Nation Security Council) tipped the conflict scale in the favor of the revolutionaries bringing effectively the end of the Qaddafi regime. Soon thereafter the leaderless movement fractioned into local militias protecting their narrow interests, organized military units under the competing political opposition gro...
Libya: from one revolution to another
La Balsa De Piedra Revista De Teoria Y Geoestrategia Iberoamericana Y Mediterranea, 2014
The revolution that overthrew Gaddafi's regime in 2011 was deeply marked by the essential features of Libyan society, such as its lack of social integration or its widespread clientelism and tribalism. All these features are deeply rooted in the historical past of the country. The Gaddafist regime itself was also formed very much by these same factors, and at the same time, it helped to shape them to some extent. Thus, it can be said that this regime was a singular experiment of partial modernisation in combination with a pronounced conservatism with respect to other aspects of social life. Consequently, despite its enthusiastic revolutionary rethoric, it appeared to be not very different from other regimes in the region. We believe it is on this basis that its ideology must be approached. Not only its actions in both the internal and external spheres but also those aspects that are most idiosyncratic and striking, such as the Green Book or the frequently histrionic behaviour of its leader.
2019
As written for the Model Regional Cooperation of Rhodes MRC 2019. Co-writer: Anastasios Koumpogiannis