The war in Libya is a series of armed clashes that began in 2011. During the fighting, the country's leader Muammar Gaddafi was overthrown and then killed. The power passed into the hands of the Transitional National Council, and the country broke up into several independent states. In 2014, the conflict resumed with renewed vigor; Islamic extremists on the one hand and the government army on the other took part in the fighting. Military clashes continue to the present day.
Reasons for the war in Libya
During the reign of Gaddafi, the standard of living of the population was at a fairly high level. The average life expectancy was 74 years, and the average salary was approaching 1050 US dollars. The state also provided free education and medical services, paid financial assistance for the purchase of housing. In the photo, Libya before the war looks prosperous and stable. However, according to various sources, the unemployment rate was from 20 to 30%. Oil revenues were used to enrich the government and close ones. The highest level of corruption, the fight against dissent, the massacres of dissidents caused dissatisfaction of citizens. After the arrest of prominent opposition figures, uprisings began in the country.
The beginning of the civil war in Libya
Colonel Muammar Gaddafi came to power in a military coup. The Libyan monarchy was overthrown, and the country radically changed foreign policy, seeking to unite all the Arabs of the Middle East. State revenues from oil production were directed to social needs, which allowed for a short time to implement programs for the construction of social housing, to raise the level of development of medicine and education.
During the reign of Gaddafi, Libya has repeatedly provoked armed conflicts with neighboring states: in 1977 with Egypt, in the 1980s took an active part in the civil war in the territory of the Republic of Chad. Attempts to annex a number of Arab states to Libya were unsuccessful, the Gaddafi regime provided financial support to various radical national liberation and terrorist organizations in other countries. In Libya, elections have never been held, foreign and domestic policy was carried out exclusively at the request of Gaddafi and his family.
In February 2011, a dictatorial government was overthrown in Tunisia and Egypt. Opponents of the colonel took advantage of the situation and took control of several cities in the east of the country, which served as the beginning of the war in Libya. On the side of Gaddafi, in addition to government troops, mercenaries from Chad, Nigeria, Guinea and other countries of Black Africa came forward. Fierce fighting led to numerous casualties among the military and civilians.
International response
The civil war in Libya caused a wide resonance in the world community. The USA, the European Union, the League of Arab States, a number of other countries and interstate organizations condemned the actions of Gaddafi and supported the opposition army. The International Criminal Court found the Colonel guilty of crimes against humanity. The UN Security Council imposed sanctions against Gaddafi and his entourage. Three weeks later, the same organization established a no-fly zone over Libya and gave permission to the civilian population to use any means to protect themselves.
The reaction of the international community has significantly affected the course of the war in Libya. The revolutionaries got a chance to win. The army of the Transitional National Council captured the capital, Tripoli, and Gaddafi himself was killed by the military of the opposition forces.
The aftermath of the 2011 war
The war in Libya became the most bloody after the Syrian war. As of August 2011, the number of deaths was more than 50 thousand people. The volume of foreign trade decreased three times, but already in 2012 it recovered to the pre-war level.
The Tuareg tribe, which supported the Gaddafi regime and put up two thousand soldiers to defend it, was persecuted after the murder of its leader. A flood of Tuareg refugees poured into the neighboring state of Mali. They settled in the northern part of the country and arbitrarily proclaimed an independent state called Azawad. The Tuaregs were later expelled by extremists.
2014 war
In 2012, power over Libya passed into the hands of the General National Congress, which in turn was controlled by adherents of radical Islam. In 2014, the congressional mandate came to an end, but its members decided to extend their rule. This caused widespread discontent among citizens. Self-proclaimed rulers declared civil protests a military coup, and hostilities of the government and the opposition resumed in the country. Later, the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant - ISIS, which acted as a third party, joined the war. Armed conflict continues to this day.
Losses
According to various sources, the number of victims during the years of the war in Libya is from 4 to 50 thousand people. This scatter is explained by the uncontrolled flow of refugees, the lack of access for international observers to the places of hostilities, and the lack of population accounting among some tribes.
The country's economy managed to recover after the events of 2011, but the ongoing fighting prevents the influx of investments. The main source of state revenue remains oil production, business in the country is not developing. The Libyan war also had a negative impact on neighboring countries: the flow of refugees, increased crime, the severance of trade and business ties led them to an economic crisis.