Ep 242 Libya Elections and Foreign Intervention feat Giorgio Cafiero

Guest: Giorgio Cafiero. We talk about the upcoming elections in Libya, scheduled for December 24, 2021. The situation still remains chaotic and uncertain with just a few days left. To quote Giorgio in one of his recent articles: 

"Libya is at a delicate point in its history. The deeply fractured and divided North African country has the first round of presidential elections officially set for December 24, yet we do not know if the elections will be held that day. Whether or not elections are held then, and whether the second round and parliamentary elections are held in February will matter significantly. But more importantly, how various domestic and foreign actors act in the period following elections matters even more."

In a bonus episode we talk about the possibility of Libya being integrated into the broader Arab world and to become one of the countries who normalize relations with Israel. We also talk about the main candidates Haftar, Ghaddafi and the interim prime minister Dbeibeh. 

Giorgio Cafiero is a Washington based analyst and CEO of Gulf State Analytics. He is a regular contributor to many media outlets, an adjunct fellow at the American Security Project, an affiliate at the Mena Center and an analyst at London-based advisory Rosa & Roubini Associates. 

FOLLOW @GiorgioCafiero and find his work at gulfstateanalytics.com

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Recorded on December 13, 2021. Music by Fluorescent Grey.

Reference Links:

1. Libya's planned elections are a ticking time bomb, Giorgio Cafiero, TRT
2. UN Security Council Resolution 2323: The situation in Libya (2016)
3. Libya's presidential election was meant to unite the country, The Economist
4. Different Nations for One Libya, Karim Mezran
5. Gaddafi's Ex-Spox: Saif Al-Islam Gaddafi Has Widest Support Heading Into Libyan Elections, RT Going Underground
6. WATCH: Armed men surround Tripoli government HQ, RT
7. Armed groups deploy around key sites in Libya's Tripoli, Al Arabiya
8. Libya, Al Samoud Brigade Besieges Tripoli. Elections At Risk, Southfront
9. UN Chief: 'Unprecedented Levels' of Foreign Interference in Libya, VoA