Following the 2011 Libyan revolution that removed Muammar Qaddafi from power, state security and justice institutions have struggled to reemerge to meet the needs of the people. In the resulting security vacuum, armed groups have assumed a role in security provision, many as quasi-state actors and yet outside of state command and control. Formal security and justice actors have been threatened, attacked, and assassinated. 

With state security and justice institutions largely nonfunctioning, some communities have turned to vigilante justice, tribal leaders and elders, or resorted to self-help when faced with conflicts and disputes. As levels of violence intensify, many are left wondering: How did we get here, and what could be done to change the situation? To address these questions, on September 30 the U.S. Institute of Peace (USIP) hosted a discussion on Libya’s security and justice landscape and the country’s current crisis. It featured findings from new research by USIP and Altai Consulting on the landscape, perceptions and experience of security and justice in Libya.

To begin the conversation and to include many based overseas and in Libya who may not be able to attend in person, USIP kicked off the conversation on September 29 with a Twitter roundtable. For more information, see Twitter Chat on Security and Justice in Post-Revolution Libya (#USIPLibya).

Speakers

Naji Abou-Khalil
Project Manager, Altai Consulting

Najla Al-Mangoush
Professor of Law, Civil Society Activist, Practitioner in Restorative Justice

Fiona Mangan
Senior Program Officer, Rule of Law, United States Institute of Peace

Christina Murtaugh
Senior Program Officer, Rule of Law, United States Institute of Peace