Since the uprisings that spread across the Arab region took hold in Libya in 2011 and forced the removal of longtime ruler Muammar al-Gadhafi, the country’s fortunes have spiraled downwards. Despite an unsustainable system of governance, Gadhafi’s harsh rule had maintained relative stability in a country with a history of …
Read More »Book Excerpt | The Burning Shores
In September 2015, I traveled back to Benghazi. I wanted to see what had happened to the city since the launch of Operation Dignity and why the fighting had been so protracted. I came in through a northern suburb called Kuwayfia, the only route open. Filled with date palms and …
Read More »Stickers Against Libya’s Grand Mufti Provoke Social Media Ire
August 15, 2016—Activists expressed anger on social media today in response to stickers spread throughout Tripoli slandering Libya's Grand Mufti, Sheikh Sadiq al-Gharyani. The stickers appeared under the cover of dark late last night. Posts defending the Mufti flooded Facebook with the hashtag "Sheikh Sadiq Al-Gharyani represents me."
Read More »US Airstrikes in Libya Draw Suspicion and Mixed Reactions
August 4, 2016—On Monday, the Presidential Council of Libya's Government of National Accord (GNA) requested that the United States level airstrikes against ISIS holdings in the Libyan city Sirte. As ground offensive against the radical group continues, Libyans in power remain split on US intervention.
Read More »Libya’s UN-Installed Government Cracks Down on Media as Opposition Protests Rage
July 30, 2016—Angry protestors marched in Martyrs’ Square yesterday, defying government measures to ban such gatherings. Outraged by the passivity of the new UN-installed government, protestors denounced al-Sarraj and demanded that he leave office.
Read More »Libya’s Ministry of Education Tries to Ban Social Media After Exams Leaked
July 18, 2016—Amidst a leaked exams crisis, Libya's Ministry of Education is seeking to block social media sites for the duration of the secondary school exams.
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