Against the backdrop of the advances made by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isil) and the continuing chaos in Syria, events in Libya have slipped beneath the radar of most current affairs outlets. But the situation in Libya remains far from stable, the nation is perilously divided, and Islamist extremists threaten to further destabilise the country still trying to forge a future after the death of dictator Muammar Gaddafi.
In the past week, Benghazi has been the scene of intense fighting in which troops loyal to renegade Libyan general Khalifa Haftar, backed by some government forces, have recaptured bases from a coalition of Islamist militias. Haftar himself remains a divisive figure, having launched a controversial military campaign against the militants in May with the declared aim of driving what he called “terrorists” from the restive city. While some army commanders and local tribes have since backed Haftar’s drive, his critics accuse him of seeking power. A military leader is not what Libya needs — have we already forgotten what 42 years of military rule brought upon the people of Libya? Haftar himself denies he has any intention of taking power in Tripoli. For the moment, he has at least managed to quell extremists in the east — and that’s a good thing. A better thing, though, would be that all sides at least agree on a path towards a democratic future under a national government.
