ABSTRACT
In 2011, large-scale protests against Muammar Gadhafi – who had been the de facto leader of Libya since 1969 – sparked a revolution that led to a civil war between the regime and the rebels. The NATO-led intervention informed by the responsibility to protect principle brought about a regime change that saw revolutionary forces take control of the country. In 2014, new divisions became apparent that bore strong similarities to the regional divide between Islamist and secular forces that had become more visible in Egypt after its 2013 military coup. The compromise, which prolonged the political longevity of Abdul Hamid Dbeibah, was reportedly negotiated in a meeting between Haftar’s son Saddam and Ibrahim Dbeibah, special adviser and nephew of the GNU prime minister. Alongside the establishment of a ‘high-level steering panel’ for Libya that would presumably smooth the election process, Bathily’s strategy seems to rely much more on the diplomatic activism of the African Union.
