Crimes against humanity in Libya – The Criminal Role of Saudi Arabia and UAE – Responsibilities of the ICC and UN Security Council Download here.
Legal study, by Mahmoud Refaat: The European Institute for International Law and International Relations.
Libya is located in a key strategic location. Its thousands of miles of Mediterranean coast offer direct access to Europe, while its location in the African continent also enables it to have a very significant amount of influence and access to the rest of the continent. These reasons with the addition of the vast amounts of natural resources that Libya has within its territory as for instance it counts with one of the biggest oil reserves of any country in Africa, offer a great explanation to why so many international actors have been particularly interested in obtaining influence over this country. Several powers like the Ottoman Empire or Italy have been able in some form or another to obtain a significant amount of control over Libya, nonetheless, through history other powers like France or the Soviet Union (and later Russia too) have tried to exert their power over Libya in order to increase their control over the region and have the chance of reaping the before-mentioned benefits. However, after the end of the First World War, Libya was able of using the new international order that was being created after the end of this event in order to establish a federal monarchy with King Idris as monarch. This system lasted until 1969, when Gaddafi was able to carry out a coup d’état that instituted the Libyan Arab Republic, where he was the ruler. Gaddafi was able to stay in power through various decades where he gradually increased the repression in the country against any opposition that dared to challenge him.
Nevertheless, the changes that were occurring in the region severely affected the situation in Libya. In December of 2010, what is known as the Arab Spring started, where several revolutions asking for democratic regimes swept through countries like Tunisia or Egypt. In Libya, this created a severe increase in tensions, which developed into a civil war between Gaddafi’s regime and a coalition of civilians that were backed by foreign actors like France, the UK, the UN. This civil war resulted in the end of Gaddafi’s regime with his death. This lead to a complete change in the country, as a power vacuum was established and shortly after both national as well as international actors tried to take advantage of the situation and fill this vacuum. This process is key for understanding the situation that Libya is experiencing at the moment as it crucially contributed to the divide that has torn the country in two and that still continues. On one side, there is the Government of National Accord (GNA), which is led by F. Sarraj and controls the Western half of Libya and is located in the city of Tripoli. On the other side, the east half of the country is controlled by the House of Representatives, which is backed by the Libyan National Army (LNA) led by Marshal H. Haftar and is located in the city of Tobruk. This conflict has had a severe impact on the Libyan population as they have had to endure life in a war-torn country, which all the negative aspects that this entails, like street violence or food shortages. Several international actors have been able to use this situation for their own advantage as they have gotten into the conflict in order to be able to increase their control over the country. Countries like the United Arab Emirates or Turkey have pursued a very direct approach as they got into the conflict from the very beginning and strongly back one side. On the other hand, countries like Russia or China have been able to increase their influence in the conflict and in the country while remaining at a distance. Not only that but, even Russia which strongly supports Haftar and the LNA has always maintained ongoing conversations with the GNA, thus ensuring that they will be able to garner their objectives no matter, which sides ends up victorious in the conflict.
