Fifteen years after the uprising that toppled Muammar Gaddafi, Libya remains fractured, prompting a renewed international push to reconcile its competing administrations. The country’s governance is currently split between the UN-recognized Government of National Unity (GNU) in Tripoli, led by Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dheibah, and an eastern-based authority in Tobruk supported by Khalifa Haftar and his Libyan National Army (LNA).
The conflict traces back to the 2011 Arab Spring, when protests in Benghazi against Gaddafi’s four-decade rule escalated into an armed rebellion. A NATO-led intervention, involving the United States, United Kingdom, and France, eventually shifted the momentum, leading to Gaddafi’s capture and death in October 2011, 42 years after he seized power in a coup against King Idris.
In the power vacuum that followed, the nation descended into years of civil strife. Today, the US is working behind the scenes to facilitate a power-sharing arrangement. Under the guidance of Massad Boulous, an adviser to President Donald Trump, Washington is proposing a structure where Dheibah remains in his post while 35-year-old Saddam Haftar, the LNA army chief, serves as president.
This diplomatic maneuver is partly driven by US economic interests in Libya’s vast oil reserves. Leaked details suggest that Washington is offering to encourage American investment in the energy sector if the rival factions agree to unify. The economic urgency is underscored by the Libyan Central Bank’s recent warnings regarding the country’s dire financial state, despite the signing of a unified national budget in April 2026—the first in over a decade.
Saddam Haftar, whose father lived in Virginia for two decades and holds US citizenship, reportedly met with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington last July, signaling potential movement within the eastern camp. However, critics argue the US-led plan lacks input from the Libyan public and risks entrenching political dynasties.
Regional powers are also heavily involved in the mediation process. Turkiye, which previously supported the GNU with military deployments, is now advocating for a “One Libya” policy. Foreign Affairs Minister Hakan Fidan recently held talks with Saddam Haftar in Ankara and visited both Tripoli and Benghazi to engage with Dheibah and Khalifa Haftar directly.
Egypt, which shares a border with the eastern administration, remains a key player. President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi met with Khalifa Haftar in Cairo on Wednesday to discuss unification, following a visit to the Egyptian capital by Dheibah and a trip to Tripoli by Egyptian intelligence chief Hassan Rashad.
Meanwhile, Qatar continues to emphasize the UN-led roadmap, which was established by the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) in 2020. This strategy focuses on unifying administrations, organizing national elections, and fostering dialogue. In April, Qatar joined Egypt, France, Germany, and other nations in a joint statement urging all Libyan parties to follow this roadmap to “advance a Libyan-led political process leading to unified governance and national elections.”
Despite these high-level diplomatic efforts, there are currently no formal talks underway to finalize a unified government. While European nations view a stable, unified Libya as a solution to curbing irregular migration across the Mediterranean, the path to a single, functioning state remains complex and uncertain. The report also notes that and with civil strife leading to the downfall of what was once one of Africa’s wealthiest countries, several actors are seeking to end the civil war and reunite the country, fifteen years since the uprising against Muammar Gaddafi in Libya began. The report also notes that when thousands of people in the port city of Benghazi took to the streets to protest against Gaddafi’s more than four decades of absolute power, the Libyan uprising erupted during the Arab Spring. The report also notes that the United States, United Kingdom and France – to enforce a no-fly zone and ensure the protection of civilians in Libya, a United Nations Security Council resolution authorised an international military intervention force – led by NATO members. The report also notes that this bombing campaign pushed back Gaddafi’s forces from Benghazi and aided the rebels in seizing territory. The report also notes that including the strategic port city of Benghazi, reportedly with the backing of Russia, his forces control vast resource-rich lands in the east. The report also notes that and in May 2021, appointed Ambassador Richard Norlan as Special Envoy to Libya, to lead high-level talks between the two sides, the US was a key mediator behind the scenes.
