OPINION | The Primary Challenge : The Lack of Trust in Libya's Post-Gaddafi Regime

At the moment, the last but not the least step is the assignment of the new government, which authorizes the intervention of military forces in a new war that could lit up the fire in the Mediterranean region.

By Federica Fanuli

Editor-at-Large, IndraStra Global

 Image Attribute: Prime Minister-Designated Fayez al-Sarraj, 

The Government of National Accord of Libya , / Source: LibyaProspect.com

If the Syrian crisis for someone seems to be a case filed and that engages the Soviet policy on front-line, the Libyan issue instead seems to be back of primary interest on the agendas of the Western diplomacy. 

In previous months, the delegate of the United Nations, Martin Kobler, had pledged to find a majority that would enable to settle the Libyan executive, but the lack of trusty to Sarraj government has accelerated the escalation of an increasingly conflict. 

The legitimacy of the government has not arrived, but the authority may soon get it and give it the consent to the international military mission, for which the formal request of the new Libyan government is required. 

Libya is a country that has a rather complex political environment, where tribes and clans that control the area have a decisive role. 

The principle of "dividing and ruling" had allowed to Colonel Muammar Gaddafi to check the differences between the tribes; but, after the dismissal of the Rais, ethnic conflicts have exploded once again. 

Taking advantage of tribal clashes and the political void that paralyzes Libya, the jihadists have been able to penetrate the boundaries that separate the country from Egypt and to go through the territory, until they have occupied the western part of Libya, the coastline area from Sirte to Sidra. 

At the west side, however, the Libyan Army fighting against the expansion of Islamic radicalism resists. The "Failed State" has become shelter for DAESH militias and the goal of the Black Caliphate is the control of oil resources. 

The escalation of the Libyan crisis worries the governments because the conflict could weigh on the market of hydrocarbons and the area occupied by the terrorists is the site of several major oil facilities. 

So blow winds of war in the north of Africa and despite several governments have denied conducting on going operations in Libya, London will place the infantry brigade on the border between Libya and Tunisia, to prevent the entry and escape jihadist fighters, and he will be responsible for training the local security forces. 

On the Libyan coast there is the French nuclear aircraft carrier Charles De Gaulle and also the Egyptian missile frigate, moved from the Suez Canal to the Mediterranean, as a result of an alleged agreement - which also sees the involvement of Italy - for conducting a booth on the ground attack against DAESH positions in Libya. 

According to Israeli sources, as matter of the fact, the offensive planned for months by the triple alliance - France, Italy and Egypt - seems to have been evaluated time ago by US President Barack Obama, who would prefer to avoid the direct involvement of US troops in the Libyan chaos letting off the weight of the military operation on the European and Mediterranean allies. 

The involvement of soldiers on the ground drives away the doubt about the efficacy of the use of drones and raids against the Islamic State to avoid the risk of Libyan implosion, just like Syria. Long hours of waiting increase tension and whereas the Italian diplomatic network has committed to convince the Parliament of Tobruk to give its consent to the unity government, the approval that will be just Italy to lead the anti-jihadist coalition in Libya has come directly from the Secretary of Defence of the United States, Ashton Carter, during a press conference at the Pentagon. 

At the moment, the last but not the least step is the assignment of the new government, which authorizes the intervention of military forces in a new war that could lit up the fire in the Mediterranean region.

About The Author:

Federica Fanuli was graduated with honours in Political Science and International Relations from the University of Salento and she has obtained a Master’s Degree in Political Science, European Studies and International Relations at the same University. Foreign Affairs analyst, she is Editorial Manager of Mediterranean Affairs, a project aiming to provide analyses that cover the Mediterranean area. Columnist of the Sunday Sentinel, she is Editorial Board Member of Cosmopolismedia.it and Editor-at-large of IndraStra Global. She can be reached at her LinkedIn profile. / Thomson Reuters ResearcherID : M-9093-2015