Beyond the mayhem: debating key dilemmas in Libya's statebuilding
Beyond the mayhem: debating key dilemmas in Libya's statebuilding
The paper argues that the causes of Libya's current chaos are rooted in its having failed to establish a modern state. Yet it points out that the policies developed under Qadhafi should not prevent Libyans from developing and implementing a consensual and inclusive statebuilding approach. This is particularly true if informal actors such as tribal structures and quasi-autonomous actors including armed groups are brought into the political scene through institutional arrangements. The conflicts of post-Qadhafi era are motivated more by the intensified struggle over access and control of the country's resources - including its financial assets and its illicit cross-border trafficking - than the ideological values per se; though this dimension cannot be overlooked as it prompted localised violent conflicts across the country. The battle for legitimacy between the major coalitions - each internally divided by various identities and conflicting interests - should not undermine the potential for a negotiated settlement mediated by the United Nations between Libyan stakeholders. Such settlement has the possibility to reinvent politics by peaceful means, acknowledge the country's socio-political diversity, and preserve its territorial integrity.
CITATION: Jebnoun, Noureddine. Beyond the mayhem: debating key dilemmas in Libya's statebuilding . : Taylor & Francis Group , 2015. Journal of North African Studies,Vol. 20, No. 5, December 2015, pp. 832-864 - Available at: https://library.au.int/beyond-mayhem-debating-key-dilemmas-libyas-statebuilding-0