The eastern Libyan city of Benghazi—the second largest in the country—has seen 30 percent of the city destroyed: a consequence of the 2011 revolution and the conflict of 2014-2017.[1] This destruction occurred in strategically-important areas of Benghazi, including the city’s main business and administrative center, as well as surrounding areas such as the al-Sabry and […]

Introduction The conflict that Libya endured between 2014 and 2018 weakened both the administrative and security authorities’ control over utilities and infrastructure. The resulting insecurity greatly affected many sectors and has had repercussions in Sebha, the most populous city in southwestern Libya. Among the sectors affected is the water and sanitation sector. In addition to […]

Introduction Libya’s higher education sector has suffered from various crises since the 2011 revolution, particularly during the past several years of war, as a result of the deteriorating security situation. One of the most significant crises has been the horizonal expansion of universities without any attention to quality standards, a phenomenon which has reduced the […]

The armed escalation that began in April 2019 with the General Command of the Libyan Arab Armed Forces’ (LAAF) attack on Tripoli led to an escalation in the Sirte area and risked international confrontation in the broader Sirte region. Sirte is pivotal in the conflict and has local, regional and international dimensions.[1] [2] [3] Therefore, […]

Since June 2020, Sirte has become a major focus of the Libyan conflict. With its central geographical and social location, the city has become the dividing line between the General Command of Haftar’s Libyan Arab Armed Forces (LAAF), supported by Russia, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt, on the one hand and the Turkish-supported Government […]

Since the Libyan Arab Armed Forces took control of the southern region on 15 January 2019, the southwestern capital Sebha has continued to deal with several crises, including the most recent outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic. The first coronavirus case was recorded on 26 May and only some days later the National Centre for Disease […]

The coronavirus pandemic has now reached Libya. It threatens to further exacerbate the crisis in Tripoli and the western part of the country, which is already directly affected by the continuing war. The Tripoli-based Government of National Accord (GNA) is faced with several challenges in its attempts to deal with the crisis: political divisions that […]

Since Sirte was seized by Haftar’s forces last January, the Interim Government affiliated to the Libyan Arab Armed Forces (LAAF) appointed new local authorities to run the city instead of the elected local council. The municipality’s new Steering Committee, as it is dubbed, now faces a major test, as it has to confront the new […]

  Did Khalifa Haftar genuinely believe that he would easily take control of Tripoli, and that he and his troops would be welcomed as liberators of the city? Did political leaders in Europe and the Middle East decide to take him at his word, hoping that a quick demonstration of military force would eventually put […]