Abstract:

Post-Gaddafi Libya is characterized by political instability, economic collapse, and civil war. The rival governments Operation Dawn and Operation Dignity have been fighting with each other as no single group effective succeeded in establishing authority since 2011. None of these governments fulfill basic requirements of being a government, leading to dissatisfaction among Libyan population. Jihadist terrorist groups have taken advantage of this dissatisfaction emanated from Libya’s fragmented situation. Libya’s porous borders enable these groups to recruit foreign jihadists. ISIL the most powerful and threatening jihadist terrorist group, establish a base in Libya after Syria and Iraq. From Libya, it threatens North African countries and Europe. Although ISIL was driven out of Sirte in December 2015, its militants were neither captured nor killed. ISIL keeps low profile by hiding in desert in middle part of the country to regain its strength to recapture Sirte again. In addition to terrorism threat, Libya’s loss of control over borders made Libya a transit country. The migrants from sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East, and the North Africa migrate to Europe by using Libya. This also threatens Europe whose stability had already been shaken by migrants coming from Syria. To counter terrorism and migrant threat, the EU tried to initiate political, economic, and social measures to provide stability in Libya to reduce flow of migrants. The creation of unity government that is supposed to bring political stability, however, failed so the instability and civil war in Libya still continues. More importantly, ISIL presence worsens security situation in Libya.

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