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Instability in Libya

Libya Peace Envoy Resigns

  • UN Special Representative Ghassan Salame, who facilitated cease-fire talks in Libya’s civil war, stepped down due to stress (United Nations)

Libyan Militias Attack Tripoli Airport

  • Militias aligned with Libyan strongman Khalifa Haftar launched missiles at Mitiga International Airport in Tripoli, disrupting operations at the site. The UN-backed Libyan Government of National Accord condemned the attack and accused Haftar’s forces of deliberately targeting civilians in wartime (Anadolu)

Turkish Soldiers Killed in Libya

  • Two Turkish soldiers were killed in Libya, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced, marking the first Turkish casualties in Libya’s civil war (BBC)

Libyan Factions Reject Peace Talks

  • Representatives of the country’s two warring factions announced they were suspending their participation in UN-brokered peace talks. The announcement comes despite UN assurances that a political dialogue between both sides will proceed as planned tomorrow (Al Jazeera)

Libyan Government Suspends Cease-Fire Talks

  • Libya’s internationally backed government said in a statement it is suspending cease-fire talks with the rebel army led by commander Khalifa Haftar after the rebels attacked Tripoli’s port, killing three people (Reuters)

New EU Operation to Enforce Libya Arms Embargo

  • The European Union will deploy naval ships, planes, and satellites to enforce an embargo on weapons to Libya, possibly by the end of March, the bloc’s chief diplomat announced (New York Times)

Mounting Violence Outside Libya’s Capital

  • At least one person was killed and four were wounded in a rocket attack that hit residential neighborhoods south of Tripoli, a health ministry spokesperson said (RFI)

UN Calls for Commitment to Libyan Ceasefire Agreement

  • The UN Security Council ratified a resolution demanding the opposing factions in Libya’s civil war commit to a “lasting ceasefire.” (United Nations)

Libyan Opposition Forces Block UN Flights

  • Forces loyal to former General Khalifa Haftar, who is leading a civil war against Libya’s internationally recognized government, blocked flights carrying UN staff. The United Nations is overseeing relief and mediation efforts in Libya’s conflict (Reuters)

Libya’s Warring Factions Meet in Geneva

  • The two sides in the country’s civil war showed a “genuine will” to begin negotiating toward a cease-fire at talks in Geneva, UN envoy Ghassan Salame said. Salame said evidence of both sides’ ongoing violations of an arms embargo had been referred to the UN Security Council (Al Jazeera)

Libyan Factions Agree to Cease-fire Talks

  • Ghassan Salame, the UN envoy to Libya, stated at a Geneva conference that the warring groups in the country’s civil war have agreed broadly to further talks to bring about a cease-fire (Al Jazeera)

Libyan Oil Losses Reach $560 Million

  • Libya’s state-owned oil firm, National Oil Corporation, reported that the shutdown of oil production from the ongoing civil war has cost the country $560 million in revenue (Associated Press)

Libya Cease-Fire Broken After Clashes

  • Forces commanded by rebel commander Khalifa Haftar advanced toward Libya’s second-largest city of Misrata, prompting clashes that broke a temporary cease-fire in the country’s civil war (Associated Press)

African Foreign Ministers Meet on Libya Conflict

  • Foreign ministers from Chad, Egypt, Mali, Niger, Tunisia, and Sudan are meeting in Algeria today to discuss measures to support a cease-fire in Libya’s civil war (Al Jazeera)

Berlin to Host Libya Peace Summit

  • U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Russian President Vladimir Putin will be among the world officials in Berlin on Sunday to attend a peace summit aimed at ending Libya’s yearslong civil war (Agence France-Press)

Two Thousand Syrian Fighters Sent to Libya

  • Turkey is facilitating the deployment of two thousand Syrian fighters to support the internationally backed government in Libya’s civil war, according to a report. The fighters have reportedly signed six-month contracts and been promised Turkish nationality (Guardian)

Libya’s Haftar Leaves Peace Talks Without Agreement

  • Renegade Libyan commander Khalifa Haftar, whose forces are waging a civil war against the country’s UN-backed government, departed from peace talks in Moscow without formalizing a cease-fire in the country, Russia’s foreign ministry said (Al Jazeera)

Libyan Leaders Arrive in Moscow for Peace Talks

  • Russia hosts peace talks today between the two warring sides in Libya’s civil war, Russian media reported (Reuters)
  • The Libyan rivals agreed to a cease-fire over the weekend (New York Times)

Libya’s Haftar Rejects Call for Cease-Fire

  • Military commander Khalifa Haftar, who leads forces battling Libya’s internationally recognized government, said he will continue his offensive despite Russia and Turkey’s call for a cease-fire (Al Jazeera)

Russia, Turkey Call for Libya Cease-Fire

  • The presidents of Russia and Turkey made a joint statement calling for a cease-fire by January 12 for the civil war in Libya, where they back opposing sides (Al-Monitor)

Libyan Rebels Claim Capture of Key Coastal City

  • Eastern Libya–based rebels waging a war against the country’s internationally recognized government in Tripoli announced they captured the strategically important coastal city of Sirte. A force aligned with Tripoli’s government said it had withdrawn from the area (Reuters)

UN Security Council to Meet on Libya

  • The Security Council will hold a closed-door meeting on Libya today at Russia’s request. Turkish troops have begun deploying to Libya, and a new agreement granting Turkey rights to an area in the Mediterranean Sea containing recently discovered gas reserves has prompted criticism from neighboring countries (Al Jazeera)

Turkey Approves Military Support for Libya

  • Turkey’s parliament approved the deployment of troops to support Libya’s internationally recognized government in Tripoli and established a one-year mandate to send the country weapons, planes, and vehicles (Al-Monitor)

EU Aid Diverted to Libyan Militias

  • An Associated Press investigation found that millions of dollars sent from the European Union to Libya and meant to improve conditions in migrant detention centers and fight human trafficking have been diverted to militias, traffickers, and coast guard members who exploit migrants (Associated Press)

Turkey Announces Plan to Send Troops to Libya

  • The Turkish government aims to pass a bill authorizing troop reinforcements for Libya’s internationally recognized government by January 9, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said (Reuters)
  • Libya’s civil war intensified in recent weeks after an offensive on Tripoli by rebel commander Khalifa Haftar, who is supported by Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Russia-backed military contractors (Al Jazeera)