Libya, a former Italian colony, gained independence in 1952 from UN trusteeship. After the discovery of major petroleum deposits at the end of the 1950s, it became one of the richest countries in Africa. Libya was ruled by a monarchy after independence; However, Colonel al-Qaddafi overthrew the monarchy in 1969 and established an authoritarian government and preserved his hold on power into the 21st century. The country has experienced conflict with Chad (over the uranium-rich Aouzou Strip, which was resolved in a 1994 peace agreement) and has been involved in conflicts in Uganda and Central Africa. In 2011, during the Arab Spring, oppositional groups joined efforts and fought to oust, and eventually kill, al-Qaddafi.
Since then, the government has failed to effectively disband or incorporate militias. Numerous militias, especially Islamist, have proliferated and consolidated their power in the country. In 2014 the IS seized the city of Derna and during the year militia fighting reached the level of war.
A steep escalation in violence occurred in July 2014, with the attack on and conquering of the capital Tripoli by Islamist militias. Officials in Tobruk and Tripoli claimed national power, each with a network of militias on its side. In early 2015, the crisis gravely escalated in the country’s west, as Islamists, democratically elected leaders, militias, and regional powers continued to vie for control. In March 2016, a UN-backed Government of National Accord reached Tripoli, with both eastern and western governments refusing to accept the new government. In September 2016, the Libyan National Army of Khalifa Haftar seized oil exports and gradually expanded control until 2018 when his forces took full control of Derna, soon advancing onto Tripoli. The UN-backed government forces Haftar out and in 2021 elects Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh as the prime minister. Haftar maintains influence in the east.
Peace attempts:
Despite the ending of al-Qaddafi’s despotic rule in 2011, Libya remains war-torn. Towards the end of 2014, the UN tried to initiate a dialog to end the conflict between several militia groups, however, no agreement was reached.
In December 2015, the Skhirat agreement (Libyan Political Agreement) was passed, aiming to form a transitional government to bridge the divide between east and west. Soon after, the UN-backed Government of National Accord was established. Yet, numerous actors failed to accept the legitimacy of both the agreement and the new government. In December 2017, General Haftar declared the agreement void.
Following an escalation of violence in 2020 after Haftar’s attempted overthrow of the UN-backed government, the UN convened the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum. The forum set a path to establish a transitional government, democratic elections, and UN-brokered talks leading to a permanent ceasefire agreement.
Current UN talks between Libya’s two opposing governments aim to develop a new and effective electoral framework. These efforts continue to face numerous challenges.
