Western Libya’s stability at the brink

For the past three months, western Libya’s security landscape has been in a downward spiral with clashes, targeted killings, assassinations, and kidnappings growing more frequent. The past weeks have been no different, as clashes took place in five cities, resulting in casualties and destruction to public and private infrastructure.

The Tripoli government and international community have increasingly become indifferent to such insecurity, with one commentator raising the question of whether internationals have grown more used to militias than Libyans themselves. Foreign delegations recently landed in Tripoli to participate in an international migration conference just hours after violent clashes in the capital resulted in two deaths.

Zawiya embroiled in chaos

As foreshadowed in recent reports, Zawiya has been plunged into chaos, with violent clashes breaking out across the city and primary roads leading into the western coastal town being closed off by combatting armed groups for days.