Second Libyan Civil War (2014–2020)

Second Libyan Civil War (2014–2020)
Ali Zifan (vectorized map) · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Conflict	Second Libyan Civil War (2014–2020)
Date	2014–2020
Place	Libya, Mediterranean Sea
Result	Ceasefire (2020); formation of interim Government of National Unity (Libya) and continued political fragmentation

Contents

Second Libyan Civil War (2014–2020) The conflict erupted from rivalries between factions competing for control of Tripoli, Tobruk, and Libya's oil infrastructure, producing a multi-sided war involving militias, militias' coalitions, and foreign states. Combatants included the General National Congress (Libya), the House of Representatives (Libya), the Libyan National Army, the Government of National Accord, and regional actors such as Egypt, United Arab Emirates, Turkey, Qatar, and Russia.

Background

After the Libyan Civil War (2011) and the overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi, institutions such as the National Transitional Council and the Commission for Constitutional Drafting failed to consolidate authority, leading to fragmentation around Misrata, Zintan, and Derna. The 2014 election produced a split between the House of Representatives (Libya) based in Tobruk and the General National Congress (Libya) in Tripoli, while actors like Khalifa Haftar and the Libyan National Army rose amid disputes with the Government of National Accord. Regional dynamics involved Algeria, Chad, Sudan, and transnational networks including Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant cells in Sirte and Benghazi.

Principal factions included the Libyan National Army led by Khalifa Haftar, the UN-backed Government of National Accord headed by Fayez al-Sarraj, and rival municipal and militia coalitions from Misrata and Zawiya. Other actors included Islamist militias linked to Ansar al-Sharia (Libya), jihadist groups such as Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant – Libya Province, and local councils like the Municipality of Benghazi. Tribal and regional forces involved the Suleiman tribes, the Tuareg, and the Tebu people, while institutions such as the Central Bank of Libya and the Libyan Investment Authority were contested. External proxies included military contractors from Wagner Group and mercenaries connected to Al-Mourabitoun networks.

The 2014 Benghazi clashes and the 2016 Battle of Sirte (2016) exemplified urban warfare; the 2014 Battle of Tripoli and the 2019–2020 Western Libya campaign saw sieges and combined-arms offensives. Haftar's Operation Dignity and his 2019 assault on Tripoli confronted the Tripoli Revolutionaries' coalitions and Misrata Brigades in engagements at Gharyan, Tarhuna, and Al-Watiya Air Base. The campaign for Sirte involved Operation Odyssey Lightning and collaboration between United States Africa Command assets, Misrata militias, and Libyan National Army opponents. Battles at Benghazi, Derna, Al-Marj, and Zliten produced shifting control over oil ports including Sidra and Zuwaytina.

Foreign states provided airlift, arms, and political backing: United Arab Emirates supported Khalifa Haftar with aircraft and drones, while Turkey supplied Bayraktar TB2 drones, advisors, and Syrian mercenaries to the Government of National Accord. Egypt and France offered diplomatic and military backing to anti-Islamist factions, while Qatar and Sudan provided support to Islamist-aligned groups. Russia employed the Wagner Group and diplomatic channels; United States forces conducted counterterrorism strikes against ISIS affiliates. International bodies such as the United Nations Support Mission in Libya and the African Union attempted mediation, while NATO-era legacies influenced logistics and training.

Fighting displaced hundreds of thousands, producing internal displacement and refugee flows toward Lampedusa, Malta, and Italy; humanitarian actors like the International Committee of the Red Cross and United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees operated amid siege conditions. Human rights organizations including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch documented alleged war crimes: summary executions, indiscriminate shelling, torture in detention centers such as those in Benghazi and Tripoli, and trafficking networks exposed by United Nations Human Rights Council investigations. Attacks on civilians occurred in Sabratha and during the Siege of Derna, while oil facility seizures disrupted revenue to the Central Bank of Libya and affected fuel supplies across North Africa.

UN-facilitated talks under Martin Kobler and Ghassan Salamé produced the Libyan Political Agreement and the creation of the Government of National Accord in Skhirat Agreement-related negotiations. Ceasefire initiatives included the 2015 Peace Process in Libya and the 2020 ceasefire brokered in Geneva and reaffirmed at the Berlin Conference (2020), with military de-escalation overseen by the United Nations Support Mission in Libya and joint committees including representatives from House of Representatives (Libya) and High Council of State (Libya). Subsequent steps led to the selection of an interim executive and plans for national elections under UNSMIL auspices.

The 2020 ceasefire reduced large-scale combat and paved the way for the Government of National Unity (Libya) and renewed political dialogues involving Fayez al-Sarraj, Khalifa Haftar, and international guarantors from United Nations Security Council members such as Russia and United States. Persisting issues include militia integration, oil revenue disputes with the National Oil Corporation (Libya), and foreign military presence including Wagner Group elements, Turkish Armed Forces bases, and air assets from United Arab Emirates. The conflict reshaped Mediterranean migration patterns affecting European Union policy, influenced Sahel security involving Mali and Chad, and became a case study in proxy warfare involving drones, private military companies, and fragmented post-revolutionary transitions.

Category:Wars involving Libya Category:2010s conflicts Category:2020 in Libya