Since 2011 the Libyan crisis has moved from being a domestic dispute to assuming  increasing importance at the international level. Today it represents a crucial issue affecting global security. The intervention of external actors in the Libyan crisis was mainly driven by a desire to direct the transition towards outcomes that would best meet their own political and economic interests. Accordingly, each external player tried to support one specific faction, favoring either the Parliament in Tobruk, upheld by Khalifa Haftar, or the Presidential Council headed by Fayez al-Serraj in Tripoli, the latter being legitimized by the UN as well as by local militias in both Misrata and Tripoli.

This report analyzes the troublesome re-building of Libya with a focus on the specific role played by international actors (neighboring and Gulf countries, European nations, Russia and the US) which make it more of an international rather than a domestic issue.

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION, Frederic C. Hof and Paolo Magri

1. Libyan Crisis: International Actors at Play, Karim Mezran, Arturo Varvelli

2. Egypt, Algeria, Tunisia. Neighboring States - Diverging Approaches, Tarek Megerisi

3. The Gulf States: Channeling Regional Ambitions in Different Directions, Saskia Van Genugten

4. Europe: Carving Out a New Role, Mattia Toaldo

5. Russia: Looking for a Warm Sea, Andrea Beccaro

6. United States: Reluctant Engagement, Ben Fishman

CONCLUSIONS, Karim Mezran and Arturo Varvelli

APPENDIX, Nicola Missaglia