The recent appointment of a new unified government in Libya has fueled cautious optimism that the war-torn North African country may finally be stabilizing after a decade of chaos and conflict. But numerous obstacles remain, not least the ongoing involvement of external actors in Libya, where a broader regional conflict between competing camps has played out alongside an ongoing struggle for influence between Russia, Europe, and the US. Turkey, Russia, Egypt, and the United Arab Emirates retain varying degrees of influence in the country, notwithstanding international calls for all foreign actors to withdraw. The coming months, and in particular a burgeoning rapprochement between Ankara and Cairo, will likely determine the viability of the latest breakthrough and portend its impact on internal Libyan dynamics, Egyptian stability next door, Turkish aspirations in the Eastern Mediterranean, and the ongoing regional struggle over the contours of the Middle East.
Libya – A Unified Government in Libya: Potential Regional Implications (INSS)
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