Beyond the mayhem: debating key dilemmas in Libya's statebuilding

The paper argues that the causes of Libya's current chaos are rooted in its having failed to establish a modern state. Yet it points out that the policies developed under Qadhafi should not prevent Libyans from developing and implementing a consensual and inclusive statebuilding approach. This is particularly true if informal actors such as tribal structures and quasi-autonomous actors including armed groups are brought into the political scene through institutional arrangements. The conflicts of post-Qadhafi era are motivated more by the intensified struggle over access and control of the country's resources – including its financial assets and its illicit cross-border trafficking – than the ideological values per se; though this dimension cannot be overlooked as it prompted localised violent conflicts across the country. The battle for legitimacy between the major coalitions – each internally divided by various identities and conflicting interests – should not undermine the potential for a negotiated settlement mediated by the United Nations between Libyan stakeholders. Such settlement has the possibility to reinvent politics by peaceful means, acknowledge the country's socio-political diversity, and preserve its territorial integrity.