Libya
Over a decade after the fall of the Qaddafi regime, Libya’s path toward peace and reconstruction remains deadlocked. Competition between the two rival governments drives violent conflict and deteriorates Libya’s security, economic and human rights conditions. USIP works alongside local, national and international partners to support Libyans as they promote stability and reconciliation in the country. Since 2011, the Institute has engaged at the community and national level to strengthen the rule of law, bridge social cleavages through dialogue, and support reconciliation. USIP also has reported on key factors contributing to fragility in Libya, including youth grievances and justice and security issues.
Learn more in USIP’s fact sheet on The Current Situation in Libya.
Over the past several years, even as fighting continued in other parts of Libya, civic activists in the strategically important town of Ubari and the Fezzan region worked to build peace with support from USIP. This video tells that story and the recent inauguration of a reconstructed central marketplace that has always been a core of the city’s life and economy. This was made possible through collaborative efforts between USIP, the World Food Programme, and local organizations.
Featured Research & Analysis
The Current Situation in Libya
Libyan oil makes up approximately 3 percent of the world’s proven oil reserves and 41 percent of the proven reserves in Africa. Its geographic position on the Mediterranean Sea makes it a crossroads between Europe and Africa, and its proximity to NATO’s southern flank makes Libya a frontline state in the global competition between great powers.
How Commemoration Can Help Unite a Divided Libya
In the al-Washishi district of Benghazi a burnt-out car stands in memorial to a slain Libyan National Army (LNA) special forces fighter, serving as a city-wide reflection of the country’s 2014-2017 civil war. The car belonged to Salem (Afareet) Al-Naili, whose father was brutally murdered, one of the many victims of terrorist violence in the city. Inspired by the personal loss of his father, Salem threw himself into the fighting in the city’s civil war and was ultimately also assassinated.
Citizen State and Community Relations in Building Local Governance
Since the revolution in 2011 and the toppling of the long-standing regime of Muammar Gaddafi, Libya has experienced various degrees of political instability and conflict. A succession of internationally supported “transitions” have failed to bring the Libyan people a functioning state with a clear social contract based on a shared vision for the nation. This paper discusses the present challenges for good local governance as perceived by Libyan citizens and institutional actors. Through this lens, recommendations are offered for immediate, short-, and medium-term initiatives that can support the improvement of citizen relations with the three traditional arms of the state—the legislative, executive, and judicial branches.
Current Projects
Religious Landscape Mapping in Conflict-Affected States
Diplomats and peace practitioners often cite lack of familiarity with the religious landscape as a barrier to their engagement of religious actors. In 2013, USIP launched an initiative to address this need by developing a methodology for systematically mapping and assessing the religious sector’s influence on conflict and peace dynamics in discrete conflict settings. These mappings, which have been done or are underway in Libya, South Sudan, Iraq and Burma, help illuminate recommendations for effective partnerships within the religious sector for peacebuilding.
Religious Women Negotiating on the Frontlines
In recent years, peace processes — such as the track 2 intra-Afghan negotiations — have shown that on both a moral and practical level, women’s inclusion is essential. Women’s involvement in peace processes increases their likelihood of success and longevity and can increase legitimacy. While more literature on women contributing to mediation and negotiation efforts is slowly being produced, little attention is currently being paid to the already existing work of women who employ their faith and mobilize religious resources for peacebuilding.