The European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) in co-operation with The Mission of Norway to the EU is hosting an on-the-record invitation-only discussion on the crisis in Libya based on the recently released policy brief “A European Agenda to Support Libya’s Transition”by ECFR Policy Fellow Mattia Toaldo.
Three years after the revolution and the international intervention, Libya has reached a critical juncture. The country is on the brink of a civil war between those aligning with retired General Heftar and their opponents.
The Parliament has been suspended and new elections may be held soon while all the major elements of the transition are lagging behind: constitution-making, the National Dialogue, transitional justice not to speak of a functioning economy.
Libya risks anarchy and protracted violence if these elements do not get back on track and a political agreement is not reached soon. External support and pressure is critical to avoid further bloodshed and move ahead Libya’s transition.
The discussion will assess what kind of actions Europeans can take to stop violence in the short-term and support the transition in the longer term.
Speakers:
- Abdul Rahman Alageli, security advisor at the Office of the Libyan Prime Minister and Deputy Head of inter-ministerial committee on border affairs.
- Mary Fitzgerald, award-winning journalist for the Irish Times. She is now based in Tripoli where she contributes to several outlets including the Economist, Foreign Policy and the Financial Times.
- Alvaro Benlloch Miranda, Libya Desk officer at the European External Action Service (EEAS).
- Heidi Johansen, Senior Adviser and desk officer for Libya and Egypt in the Section for Middle East and North Africa Affairs in the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Chaired by:
- Mattia Toaldo, policy fellow for the ECFR MENA programme and a council member of the Society for Libyan Studies. He has been working on Libya since 2004.
(Source: European Council on Foreign Relations)
