International and Regional Interventions and Their Impact on Political Stability in Libya: An Analytical Study (2011–2026)

Abstract

This research examines international and regional interventions and their impact on political stability in Libya during the post-2011 period. NATO intervened pursuant to UN Security Council Resolution 1973 and toppled the former regime without preparing a plan for state-building or disarming militias; this created an institutional vacuum that was subsequently exploited by both local and external forces. The study seeks to understand the concept, nature, and forms of international intervention, as well as its impact on the political process and stability following 2011. It also analyzes specific instances of international and regional intervention, exploring their causes, consequences, and links to the current situation. The research concludes that international and regional interventions have become key factors shaping the trajectory of Libya's political crisis. Their impact was neither uniform nor unidirectional; rather, it varied according to the nature of the intervention and the objectives and interests of the intervening parties. These interventions split into two camps, each pursuing its own interests and ambitions by using conflicting Libyan factions as proxies to achieve their goals. The Libyan case is unique in that external intervention did not occur within a stable state possessing unified institutions, but rather in an environment characterized by political and security fragmentation, multiple power centers, and the proliferation of armed groups—conditions that gave external powers ample opportunity to influence the course of events and created a state of chaos resulting in the deterioration of political, social, and economic conditions.