Deconstructing the Second Libyan Civil War

Military and political instability in Libya has taken divergent shapes and forms since its eruption with the Arab Spring of 2011 posing grave security challenges in the country and threatening spill-over effects along all of Libya’s borders. Ranked 23rd out of 178, in the Failed States Index, Libya has been divided between duelling governments since 2014. Libya remains entangled in a complex web of interests of militias, brigades, tribes and regions in what is called the Second Libyan Civil War. War-torn Libya has also become a proxy playground of the struggle for regional dominance with foreign interference reaching unprecedented levels. The war has given a jolt to the security framework with sustained skirmishes, uncontrolled migration and destabilization of the regional oil-economy. Despite multiple rounds of talks, warring sides largely remain indecisive to agree upon any compromise. Emerging out of the power vacuum left by Gaddhafi’s fall, and strengthened by the historical development of Libyan society and its state, Libyan civil war awaits a long-lasting settlement between rival factions. The following sections attempt to examine the ongoing Libyan conflict. Focusing on multifarious aspects of the conflict, the paper aims to analyse the changing dynamics and current position of the war. The paper also presents a critical take on the process of “internationalization” of the Libyan crisis and its repercussions. With hope of stability in Libya and adding on to existing peace efforts, the paper puts forward recommendatory conflict resolution mechanisms.