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  • Policy Analysis
    LibyaDemocracy and Governance

    Libya: Despite Talks on a Unified Government, Impasse Remains

    Mar 27, 2024Gregory Aftandilian

    Talks last month in Cairo between representatives of Libya’s two rival governments raised hopes over progress in resolving the country’s 10-year political impa…

  • Policy Analysis
    LibyaRegional Relations and Geopolitics

    The Recent Libya-Israel Debacle Is Symptomatic of Larger Problems

    Sep 13, 2023Gregory Aftandilian

    The controversy and severe public backlash surrounding news of a late-August meeting between the Libyan and Israeli foreign ministers in Rome is symptomatic of…

  • Policy Analysis
    North AfricaSecurity and Defense

    The Fate of the Wagner Group in Syria, Libya, and Sudan

    Jul 18, 2023Gregory Aftandilian

    The failed mutiny by Yevgeny Prigozhin has put the fate of his Wagner Group doubt, not only in Ukraine but in several Arab states as well.

  • Policy Analysis
    LibyaConflicts and Conflict Resolution

    Despite Libya’s Progress on Election Laws, Deep Divisions Remain

    Jun 13, 2023Gregory Aftandilian

    Recent meetings in Morocco between representatives of Libya’s two main factions, the Government of National Unity (GNU) in the West and the House of Representa…

  • Policy Analysis
    LibyaConflicts and Conflict Resolution

    Can Libya’s Stalemate Be Overcome?

    Apr 4, 2023Patricia Karam

    After riveting the world in 2011 with a revolution that led to the fall of Muammar Qaddafi, one of the world’s most brutal dictators, Libya has largely receded…

  • Policy Analysis
    LibyaRegional Relations and Geopolitics

    Impacting Elusive Transitions: Egypt’s Policy Toward Sudan and Libya

    Mar 1, 2023Khalil Al-Anani

    The recent political developments in Sudan and Libya have generated some optimism for a potential resolution to the protracted political crises that have plagu…

  • Policy Analysis
    North AfricaClimate and Environment

    Green Power Politics in North African Countries: Continuity or Change?

    Mar 1, 2023Achref Chibani

    In 2023, environmental and climate issues will again be at the top of the policy agenda in the Middle East and North Africa. The upcoming COP28 climate confere…

  • Policy Analysis
    TurkeyRegional Relations and Geopolitics

    Turkey Faces a Dilemma in its Foreign Policy Toward Libya

    Jan 24, 2023Mustafa Gurbuz

    On January 9, 2023, a Libyan court suspended an energy exploration deal between Turkey and Libya’s Tripoli-based Government of National Unity (GNU) that was or…

  • Policy Analysis
    LibyaConflicts and Conflict Resolution

    Libya’s Impasse Continues Amid Mounting Migrant Problems

    Dec 21, 2022Gregory Aftandilian

    Nearly a year after national elections were supposed to be held in Libya, the country is still not any closer to resolving the deep political and geographical …

  • Policy Analysis
    LibyaConflicts and Conflict Resolution

    Libya’s Woes Persist in a Fractured Political Landscape

    Aug 18, 2022Gregory Aftandilian

    Gregory Aftandilian examines the latest developments in Libya following the derailment of parliamentary and presidential elections and the ongoing division and…

  • Viewpoint
    LibyaDemocracy and Governance

    Libya’s Belligerent Elites May Doom the Country’s Future

    Jul 5, 2022Imad K. Harb

    Once again, Libya is falling victim to its political elites’ failure to agree on a long-awaited election mechanism and constitutional provisions that would sec…

  • Policy Analysis
    North AfricaRegional Relations and Geopolitics

    Maghreb-France Relations as Macron Begins Second Term

    May 26, 2022Zeidon Alkinani

    For France to remain on good terms with North Africa, it has to be ready to offer concrete assistance and avoid what in many respects have been Macron’s symbol…

  • Policy Analysis
    LibyaDemocracy and Governance

    Libya: A Return to Uncertainty

    Mar 16, 2022Imad K. Harb

    It appears that all bets are off in Libya. Elections that were scheduled for last December were postponed as competing institutions and individuals interpret p…

  • Policy Analysis
    North AfricaDemocracy and Governance

    The Islamists of Northwest Africa: Accommodation and Co-optation

    Jan 26, 2022Amal Ghazal

    Analyses of Islamists in Northwest Arica—from Mauritania to Libya—follow a common pattern of distinguishing militants among them from non-militants. In particu…

  • Policy Analysis
    LibyaDemocracy and Governance

    Libya: Political Paralysis and Continued Uncertainty

    Jan 11, 2022Gregory Aftandilian

    Gregory Aftandilian writes that the postponement of Libya’s presidential and parliamentary elections has helped plunge the country into another crisis that thr…

  • Policy Analysis
    LibyaDemocracy and Governance

    Uncertainty Overshadows Libya’s Elections

    Nov 11, 2021Imad K. Harb

    The agreement governing Libya’s advancement toward presidential and legislative elections, which are slated to be held in December, ran into serious trouble th…

  • Policy Analysis
    LibyaDemocracy and Governance

    The Challenges and Opportunities in Libya Today

    Jun 14, 2021Imad K. Harb

    After the uprising against former strongman Muammar Qadhafi in 2011, Libya’s road to stability and order—let alone to full democratic governance—has not been s…

  • Policy Analysis
    LibyaConflicts and Conflict Resolution

    The Libyan Interim Government: Hopes and Challenges

    Apr 6, 2021ACW Research and Analysis Unit

    Libya has suffered years of violence and volatility. Recently, Libyan delegates to a conference in Geneva approved the re-formation of two entities: the Presid…

  • Policy Analysis
    LibyaConflicts and Conflict Resolution

    Cautious Optimism a Decade after Libya’s Revolution

    Mar 5, 2021Imad K. Harb

    The Arab Spring protests that started 10 years ago in Libya and the ensuing collapse of the Muammar Qadhafi regime set in motion a decade of instability that c…

  • Policy Analysis
    EgyptRegional Relations and Geopolitics

    Egypt’s Changing policy in Libya: Opportunities and Challenges

    Jan 21, 2021Khalil Al-Anani

    On December 27, 2020, a high-ranking Egyptian diplomatic and security delegation visited the Libyan capital of Tripoli to hold talks with the United Nations-ba…

  • Policy Analysis
    LibyaUS Foreign Policy

    Biden’s Challenges in Stabilizing Libya

    Dec 2, 2020Karim Mezran Emadeddin Badi

    Upon assuming power, President Joe Biden and his administration will face a still-chaotic Libya despite the many political maneuverings afoot among Libyans and…

  • Policy Analysis
    LibyaUS Foreign Policy

    By Sanctioning Turkey’s Role in Libya, Trump Emboldens Erdoğan in the Eastern Mediterranean

    Jul 10, 2020Joe Macaron

    Evaluating the Trump Administration's policy toward Libya, Joe Macaron writes that from giving a green light to Haftar to march toward Tripoli to endorsing Tur…

  • Policy Analysis
    EgyptRegional Relations and Geopolitics

    Understanding Egypt’s Strategy in Libya

    Jul 8, 2020Khalil Al-Anani

    Khalil al-Anani discounts the chances for a direct Egyptian military intervention in Libya despite the dangers of instability and chaos there and their impact …

  • Policy Analysis
    LibyaConflicts and Conflict Resolution

    Haftar’s Secession Must Not Stand

    May 2, 2020Imad K. Harb

    General Haftar's unilateral abrogation of the 2015 Skhirat Agreement is illegal and that his secession in areas under his control paves the way for Libya's dis…

  • Policy Analysis
    LibyaRegional Relations and Geopolitics

    Libya: Between Proxy War and International Failure

    Apr 14, 2020Khalil Al-Anani

    The domestic, regional, and international players of the Libyan conflict continue to fuel the civil war nine years after the toppling of Muammar Qadhafi.

  • From our Affiliates
    LibyaRegional Relations and Geopolitics

    Turkey’s Growing Role in Libya: Motives, Background, and Responses

    Jan 9, 2020Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies (ACRPS)

    There are fears that external interventions in Libya may prolong its conflict and threaten the future and territorial integrity of the country. Read this analy…

  • Policy Analysis
    LibyaRegional Relations and Geopolitics

    Is Turkey Playing with Fire in Libya?

    Jan 6, 2020Mustafa Gurbuz

    Turkish troops aim to buttress Libya's Government of National Accord, but escalating tensions in the Mediterranean may actually harm both Ankara and Tripoli.

  • Policy Analysis
    LibyaRegional Relations and Geopolitics

    The Libya-Turkey Memorandum of Understanding: Local and Regional Repercussions

    Jan 2, 2020Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies (ACRPS)

    The signing of the Libyan-Turkish memorandum of understanding on maritime sovereignty in the Eastern Mediterranean has coincided with increased tensions both w…

  • Policy Analysis
    LibyaUS Foreign Policy

    The Trump Administration Tries a New Policy in Libya

    Dec 18, 2019Gregory Aftandilian

    Washington is now firmly pressing Libyan strongman Khalifa Haftar to stop his offensive on Tripoli and allow for a negotiated settlement with the GNA. With so …

  • Washington Policy Weekly
    LibyaUS Foreign Policy

    The Conflict in Libya Resurfaces on Washington’s Agenda

    Nov 27, 2019Marcus Montgomery

    Marcus Montgomery discusses the renewed interest in both Congress and the Trump Administration to address the ongoing conflict in Libya and asks whether the Un…

  • Policy Analysis
    LibyaConflicts and Conflict Resolution

    Libya’s Stalemate Could Lead to Dreaded Partition

    Sep 17, 2019Imad K. Harb

    While domestic competition and outside intervention are fueling the dangerous Libyan conflict, General Haftar’s challenge to the GNA and rejection of UN mediat…

  • Policy Analysis
    LibyaConflicts and Conflict Resolution

    Libya and the Outsiders: Games of Power

    May 22, 2019Federica Saini Fasanotti

    Despite President Trump’s ill-advised contact with Khalifa Haftar as the general attacked Tripoli, it is still possible for the United States to play an import…

  • Policy Analysis
    LibyaConflicts and Conflict Resolution

    Haftar’s Losing Hand and Scenarios for Libya

    May 17, 2019Karim Mezran

    To achieve peace and stability, Libyans must find common ground and shared goals to devise a cohesive plan for resolving domestic grievances in a constructive …

  • Policy Analysis
    LibyaReligion and Politics

    Haftar’s Attempted Coup and Trump’s Collusion over Libya

    Apr 23, 2019Imad K. Harb

    It is doubtful that Haftar’s campaign against Tripoli will end Libya’s chaos; indeed, it is likely to exacerbate and extend the country’s civil war and increas…

  • Policy Analysis
    LibyaDemocracy and Governance

    Correcting Libya’s Imbalance

    Mar 19, 2019Imad K. Harb

    The international community must help Libya avoid renewed authoritarianism and political and military chaos by supporting UN efforts to hold elections and help…

  • Policy Analysis
    LibyaConflicts and Conflict Resolution

    Libyans Should Decide Their Own Future: An Interview with Hani Shennib

    Nov 20, 2018Imad K. Harb

    The failure to address the root causes of the Libyan conflict is the main reason why Libya has not arrived at a peaceful resolution to its ongoing troubles.

  • Viewpoint
    IraqRegional Relations and Geopolitics

    Russian Gains Are American Losses in the Arab World

    Oct 30, 2018Imad K. Harb

    Putin’s assessment of a receding American international influence paves the way for an even larger Russian role in the Arab world.

  • Policy Analysis
    LibyaDemocracy and Governance

    Libya Cries Out for More International Commitment

    Sep 7, 2018Imad K. Harb

    Despite the UN’s efforts to assist Libya, it remains up to the country’s leaders themselves to agree to a political settlement and begin to restore the authori…

  • Policy Analysis
    LibyaConflicts and Conflict Resolution

    Facing Extremism and Preventing Fragmentation in Libya

    Jul 24, 2018Mustafa Gurbuz

    With deepening economic and security crises, Libya may be headed toward a future of fragmentation in which extremist groups find a fertile breeding ground.

  • Policy Analysis
    LibyaDemocracy and Governance

    Libya: Controlling Oil, Fearing Partition

    Jul 16, 2018Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies (ACRPS)

    In light of Libya’s institutional fragmentation between east and west, control of the Oil Crescent and its revenues has become a determining factor in the coun…

  • Viewpoint
    LibyaConflicts and Conflict Resolution

    An Accord for Libya?

    Jun 1, 2018Imad K. Harb

    Amid the many conflicts rending the Arab world today, the one in Libya recently took a hopeful turn toward a peace process despite the violence still wracking …

  • Policy Analysis
    LevantEnergy and Economics

    Between Idealism and Realpolitik: Erdoğan’s Quest for Palestine

    Apr 26, 2018Mustafa Gurbuz

    Turkey’s active policy for Palestine enables Ankara to strengthen its ties to the Palestinian Authority and Hamas simultaneously and thus to bolster its role a…

  • Viewpoint
    LibyaConflicts and Conflict Resolution

    Haftar’s Illness and Libya’s Troubles

    Apr 20, 2018Imad K. Harb

    Libya’s confusing political environment just became a little more so with the reported illness of strongman General Khalifa Haftar. He is commander of the so-c…

  • Policy Analysis
    EgyptRegional Relations and Geopolitics

    Putin in Egypt as the United States Retreats

    Dec 19, 2017Gregory Aftandilian

    From the perspective of President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, warming relations with Moscow sends a signal to Washington that the US-Egyptian bilateral relationship …

  • Policy Analysis
    LibyaDemocracy and Governance

    Libya’s Modern Slavery and the Politics of Denial

    Dec 18, 2017Mohammed Cherkaoui

    The treatment of refugees and migrants in Libya raises new questions about three major political, socioeconomic, and moral dilemmas for the Libyan government, …

  • Policy Analysis
    LevantEnergy and Economics

    Turkey’s Policy toward a Fractured Libya

    Dec 12, 2017Mustafa Gurbuz

    Turkey is interested in being on good terms with all Libyan factions but is caught up in the complex relations between Libya’s political forces and their regio…

  • Policy Analysis
    EgyptReligion and Politics

    Egypt Still Banking on Libya’s Haftar While Reaching Out to Other Leaders

    Dec 4, 2017Gregory Aftandilian

    Economic and primarily security interests drive Egypt’s Sisi to support General Khalifa Haftar, strongman in eastern Libya, against Islamist movements while al…

  • Policy Analysis
    LibyaConflicts and Conflict Resolution

    Libya’s Complicated Search for a Leader

    Oct 24, 2017Mohammed Cherkaoui

    Libya faces an uneasy distinction between a fragile state and a failed state and has fallen between the cracks of a dispute over legitimacy, struggle for power…

  • Policy Analysis
    LibyaConflicts and Conflict Resolution

    The Still Elusive Libyan Peace

    Aug 17, 2017Imad K. Harb

    The political impasse in Libya may pave the way for a final collapse of the nearly failed Libyan state and the subsequent divorce between the eastern and weste…

  • Policy Analysis
    LibyaUS Foreign Policy

    Libya after ISIL: What Will Trump Do?

    Feb 15, 2017Joe Macaron

    It is safe to say that at present, Libya might not be high on the agenda of President Donald Trump’s Administration. In December 2016, the Islamic State in Ira…

  • Policy Analysis
    LevantUS Foreign Policy

    US in Libya: The Challenges of a Third Front against ISIL

    Feb 25, 2016Joe Macaron

    President Barack Obama’s Administration is considering the opening of a critical third front against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) in Libya. …