Libya, 2021: Protracted Civil War with Increasing External Involvement

Abstract

In the fall of 2011, the first year of the so-called Arab Spring, Western military intervention led to the fall of  Muammar  al-Gaddafi, who had held Libya in his hands for 42 years.  But after the foreign intervention, the necessary  stabilization did not take place. Libya eventually sank into  chaos as more and more outside actors became involved in  the conflict. However, in the absence of a strong central  government, the external support for various armed  groups and militias has resulted in significant shifts in the  local balance of power. Foreign interference remains a  major obstacle to the peace process and stabilization, the  failure of which poses a threat not only to the region but  also to Europe’s security.