1. The Case for a New Federalism in Libya
- Author:
- Karim Mezran and Mohamed Eljarh
- Publication Date:
- 12-2014
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Atlantic Council
- Abstract:
- The French intellectual Jean Baudrillard once said, “It is always the same: once you are liberated, you are forced to ask who you are.” In the case of Libya, this question should have been at the center of every political initiative immediately following the collapse of Muammar Qaddafi's regime. Libya's new leadership had the opportunity to convene a national dialogue in an effort to explore questions of national identity and a new vision for a national mission. Unfortunately, the Libyan elites who emerged from the 2011 civil war did not make national dialogue a priority, opting to appease local forces—armed and political—rather than to undertake the difficult but critical task of nation-building.
- Topic:
- Security, Political Violence, and Governance
- Political Geography:
- Africa and Libya