This paper explores armed group–community relations in Libya and the sources of revenue that have allowed armed groups to grow in power and influence. It draws out the implications for policy and identifies options for mitigating conflict dynamics.
Acknowledgments
The authors would like to thank all of the researchers who worked with us to conduct interviews and collect data on what is a very difficult area to research at a difficult time in Libya. Hamam al-Fasi provided valuable input to the paper at various points. Thanks also go to our two blind peer reviewers, along with Wolfram Lacher and Jason Pack who kindly gave up their time to look at the manuscript. The paper is considerably richer and improved for their insightful comments and particularly for their challenges to the authors’ interpretations and arguments. Within the Chatham House team, the authors are indebted to Nicole El Khawaja for wading through countless versions of this paper and navigating the impossible world of Arabic transliteration, and to Jake Statham for his forensic editing.