Libya

The European Legion’s Activities in Libya

NATO seems to be seeking to intervene in Libya’s internal affairs and impose its control over the Libyan people’s oil and gas capabilities using...

Understanding Libya’s relentless destabilization

After leading a military coup in 1969, Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi cemented his rule over Libya for more than 40 years. A variety of different political ideologies—Pan-Arabism,...

EU says no to Western Sahara separatists; non-recognition policy remains unchanged

With top officials and heads of state gathering in Brussels for the opening of Thursday's EU-African Union Summit, the European Union released a key...

Who actually owns Libyan oil?

In the past the long-term export of petroleum products allowed Libyans to maintain a high standard of living for several decades, outpacing most African...

Instability in Libya is set to exacerbate Europe’s migrant crisis

At least four dinghies reached the shore at Dungeness in Kent on Sunday, carrying dozens of people desperate to reach Britain before worsening winter...

The West must apply the lessons of Afghanistan and Tunisia to Libya

Twenty years have now passed since 9/11. Since then, differing ideas of the importance of democracy in Middle Eastern policy have dominated the foreign...

Conflict is spreading across the African continent

Many African countries are run by dictatorships, but their grasp on power is increasingly unstable. Mali has seen at least 2 changes of power...

The EU’s plans for stabilizing Libya via democratic elections alone are set to fail

The European Union has for years invested its diplomatic efforts, as well as millions of Euros, into bringing a sense of security to Libya,...

Afghanistan and the Great Powers

Can Afghanistan's never-ending internal conflict be resolved by the efforts of great and regional powers that have numerous conflicting strategic and global goals? Is...

Making sense of the Italy-UAE rift

Earlier this month the United Arab Emirates (UAE) ordered the withdrawal of all Italian aircraft and personnel from its Al Minhad Air Force Base...

When the “New Middle East” meets the “New Europe”

Middle Eastern experts have commented widely on the “new” foreign policy of the United Arab Emirates. Many of these same commentators have gone so...

From Vienna to Tripoli, the Muslim Brotherhood’s impact is felt on both sides of the Mediterranean

Austria's Chancellor Sebastian Kurz has recently undertaken a number of legislative initiatives that target Islamist groups and movements, which are active within the country,...

The Eastern Mediterranean sideshow

We have just been through a week in which the world focused its attention completely on the Russia-Ukraine conflict.  Second place went to Afghanistan...

EU set to extend Operation Irini until 2023

The European Union is set to extend its Libya arms embargo mission for two years, a senior EU official said, according to a report...

Greece reopens embassy in Tripoli

Greece's Foreign Ministry on Saturday announced it is immediately reopening its embassy in Libya's capital, Tripoli and a consulate in Benghazi.The announcement came a day...

A new dawn for Libya brings hope for regional stability

While it may seem as though only one subject has dominated the news for the past year, and our lives came to a very...

UN-sponsored peace talks approve candidate list to head Libya’s transitional government

Participants at Libya’s UN-sponsored peace talks have approved a list of candidates seeking to lead a transitional government that will prepare the country for...

Potential head of presidential council looks fit to pull Libya out of quagmire

The United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL)-brokered Libyan Political Dialogue Forum (LPDF) has so far failed to bring the light at the end...

NATO voices concerns over Russian military presence in MENA region

Russia's increasing military presence in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region is a matter of "great concern" for NATO, its Secretary-General Jens...

OPEC+ likely to extend oil cuts seeing slow fuel demand recovery from vaccines

Oil prices climbed to their highest in more than eight months on November 25 fuelled by continuing hopes that energy demand will recover once...

Russia, Saudi Arabia eye COVID-19 oil cut to hike prices

Russia and OPEC-kingpin Saudi Arabia are reportedly mulling to delay an increase in oil production in January, maintaining an output cut aimed to raise...

Libya frees prisoners to stem spread of coronavirus

Libya said it will release more than 450 prisoners in bid to curb the spread of the coronavirus that has infected at least eight...

Union for the Mediterranean calls for regional action to tackle water scarcity

In light of World Water day on March 22, the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) has called for regional dialogue to address common challenges...

Merkel meets Haftar to discuss Libya crisis

Libya’s commander Khalifa Haftar met with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin on Tuesday, a day after he met with French president Emmanuel Macron...

Macron meets Haftar in bid to secure Libya ceasefire

French president Emmanuel Macron met Monday with Libya’s military commander Khalifa Haftar, who promised he would commit to a ceasefire with the country’s rival...

UN envoy to Libya resigns

Ghassan Salame, the UN envoy for Libya, said on Monday he was stepping down due to health reasons, amid an escalation in fighting in...

UN report says Russia and Turkey may have committed war crimes in Syria

United Nations investigators said in a report issued on March 3 found that the actions by the armed forces of both Russia and Turkey...

Haftar sued in US for torture and killings in Libya

Two Libyan families have filed a US civil lawsuit against commander Khalifa Haftar and his sons for torturing and killing their relatives. The lawsuit relies...

Countries sending arms to Libya to face consequences, Germany warns

German foreign minister Heiko Maas threatened the countries that continue delivering weapons and sending troops and mercenaries to Libya, despite the arms embargo. Ahead...

Libya rival factions pull out of peace talks

The United Nations-sponsored peace talks aimed at bringing an end to more than 10 months of fighting in Libya have collapsed, as the two...

Erdogan confirms presence of Turkey-backed Syrian fighters in Libya

Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday confirmed for the first time that pro-Turkish Syrian fighters are in Libya alongside training teams dispatched by...

Libya's rival factions resume talks in Geneva

Libya's rival factions resumed talks in Geneva on Thursday. The peace talks are aimed at brokering a lasting ceasefire in the war-torn country. "The talks...

Commissioner urges Italy to suspend cooperation activities with Libyan Coast Guard

The Commissioner for Human Rights Dunja Mijatović in a letter sent to Italy's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Luigi Di Maio has urged the country's government to suspend...

Erdogan warns EU against ‘interference’ on Libya

Turkey's president Recep Tayyip Erdogan slammed the European Union's decision to launch a maritime effort focused on enforcing the UN arms embargo around Libya. Erdogan...

Libya’s government suspends peace talks after Haftar port attack

Libya’s UN-backed government, the GNA, has suspended peace talks in Geneva, following an attack on a strategic port in Tripoli on Tuesday. "We announce suspending...

Top officials reaffirm commitment to uphold Libya arms embargo

Top officials from about a dozen countries discussed the Libya crisis at the Munich Security Conference. They reaffirmed a commitment to respect an arms...

Top politicians gather in Munich for security summit

Heads of state and government, security leaders and diplomats gathered for the 56th annual Munich Security Conference, which runs from 14-16 February. This year’s...

Libya talks in Geneva end with no end in sight to fighting

Military officers from Libya’s UN-backed government, GNA, and representatives of the rival militia of warlord Khalifa Haftar, LNA, began meeting last week in Geneva...

Progress made in talks between Libya rivals, says UN envoy

Ghassan Salame, the United Nations' special envoy for Libya has reported "progress" in Geneva talks between military representatives of the country's rival parties. Military officers...

UN chief warns of growing instability in the Middle East

The United Nations’ chief António Guterres said that the flow of weapons to war zones in Libya, Syria and Yemen, as well as the...

Libya military rivals hold UN-sponsored talks

After almost a year of fighting, Libya’s two rival governments began talks aimed at securing a ceasefire. Military officers from Libya’s UN-backed government, GNA, and...

Macron accuses Erdogan of breaking promises on Libya

French president Emmanuel Macron accused his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdoğan of breaking the promise and meddling in the Libya conflict. "I want to express...

Italy, Cyprus call Turkey-Libya maritime deal ‘unacceptable’

Italy’s foreign minister Luigi Di Maio and his Cypriot counterpart Nikos Christodoulides said the maritime border deal between Turkey and Libya’s UN-backed government is...

Germany calls for sanctions for those breaking Libya embargo

Germany’s foreign minister Heiko Maas said that the United Nations should pass a resolution sanctioning any country that breaks the arms embargo on Libya. "No...

Deadly clashes erupt in Libya despite ceasefire

At least three people were killed and more than two dozen wounded in Libya, in warlord Khalifa Haftar’s surprise offensive. His forces advanced 120...

UN chief warns of impact on Sahel region from Libya war

UN secretary general Antonio Guterres warned that Libya's civil war become a playground for foreign forces in North Africa and threatens to spill over...

EU to revive Operation Sophia to help tackle Libya crisis

EU foreign ministers decided to revive Operation Sophia to enforce a potential cease-fire in Libya and a UN arms embargo in the country. “It’s clear...

EU should consider sending troops to Libya, Borrell says

The European Union’s foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell suggested an EU military mission to protect cease-fire in Libya. “If there is a cease-fire in Libya,...

East Med Gas Forum makes Cairo HQ

Egypt, Cyprus, Greece, Israel, Italy, Jordan and Palestinian Authority signed in Cairo on 16 January the East Med Gas Forum (EMGF) foundation charter, creating...

Libya peace talks in Moscow stall

Libya’s opposed leaders failed to agree on a ceasefire to end the war over the capital Tripoli. The peace talks in Moscow on 13 January...

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