Vol.13, No.2 | [Article] Critiquing Liberal Peacebuilding in Libya

Since the collapse of the Qaddafi regime in 2011, Libya has suffered from recurring cycles of political, social, security and economic crises that generate frustration and threaten the recovery altogether. In the absence of a functioning state, in particular, the broader Sahel and Maghreb regions have become increasingly vulnerable and the southern part of Libya has been threatened to become a breeding ground for terrorist groups within striking distance of Europe. In this context, the paper tries to critique the main reasons why the West has strived to promote the project of liberal peacebuilding in the aftermath of the downfall of Gaddafi regime in Libya. Given that the ideas and values of liberal peace which the West attempted to introduce in Libya triggered the country fell into prolonged civil war among various divisions, therefore, the paper argues that liberal peacebuilding driven by the western interventions should be reconsidered and an emphasis needs to be given to indigenous peacebuilding approaches.