Laying the Groundwork for Peace in a Fragmented Libya

JOINT  Brief nº. 8 (January 2021)

Libya is fragmented, and this fragmentation raises questions about legitimacy for whoever emerges as the winner of the presidential elections, now scheduled for early 2022. Legitimacy is one of the underlying challenges that engenders postelection conflict in many African societies. To avoid post-election conflict in Libya, stakeholders like the European Union, by way of anticipation, may need to facilitate dialogues with domestic and relevant foreign actors towards accepting the election results and the president-elect. The political intervention also includes facilitating talks with presidential candidates to ensure that their political priorities are not contrary to Libya’s peace agenda. Against this backdrop, multi-track diplomacy is a workable tool in developing a conducive terrain for peace.