"The Libyan Conflict - obstacles and opportunities to de-escalation", online workshop, 8th July 2020

On the 8th July, Forward Thinking brought together two representatives from the Libyan House of Representatives – one based in the East and one based in the West – for an online discussion on the current crisis in the country.Fighting in Libya has escalated in recent months. Forces aligned with the UN-recognised Government of National Accord (GNA) have pushed the Libyan National Army (LNA), led by Khalifa Haftar, back from Tripoli. This is a critical time for Libya, in which the different sides could seize the opportunity to accept there is no military solution and return to negotiations. Alternatively, it could represent the beginning of a new phase of escalation.There are growing concerns that it is the latter scenario which is playing out. Neighbouring states and international powers are increasingly drawn into the fighting. In this context, Libya is at risk becoming a main front in a regional proxy war.This meeting provided an opportunity to explore these issues in depth and identify the principle challenges and opportunities to de-escalation from a Libyan perspective.