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1 1 (June 16, 2020)

handle is hein.crs/govdgyy0001 and id is 1 raw text is: k Libya and U.S. Policy Cc, ,fl ta nd C()Y,'t)1 9 Thre ,ate.,r, Ltb a Libya has been wracked by major conflict since April 2019, when the Libyan National Army /Libyan Arab Armed Forces (LNA/LAAF) movement-aco alition o f armed groups led by Khalifa Haftar-launched a bid to seize the capital, Tripoli, from local militias and the internationally recognized Government of National Accord (GNA). Fighters in wes tern Libya rallied with Turkish military support to bluntthe LNA's advance, and Haftar's forces withdrew from northwestern Libya in June 2020. Fighting has continued in central Libya despite multilateral demands for a ceasefire. LNA forces and localpartners control much of Libya's territory andkey oilproduction and export infrastructure, directly or through militia allies (Figure 1). The GNA and anti-LNA groups control Tripoli and the western coast. Southern Libya is marginalized and faces threats fromcriminals, rival ethnic militias, and terrorists. Conflict dynamics shifted during the conflict as Rus sian- national Wagner Group contractors intervened onbehalfof LNA forces, Turkey and the GNA concluded maritime and security cooperation agreements, Turkey deployed fighters and arms on behalf of the GNA, and outsiders shipped weapons to both sides. U.S. officials, Russia, Egypt, and the United Arab Emirates armthe LNA and aid its operations. Turkey provides overt military support to anti-LNA forces. Both sides haverecruited Syrian militias to theirranks. State Department officials condemnedtoxic foreign interference in March 2020, and have called fora sovereign Libya free offoreign intervention. Non-government conflict observers estimate that fighting between LNA forces, GNA supporters, and anti-LNA militias has killed more than 2,600 fighters, along with more than 450 civilians since April. Near Tripoli, conflict has displaced more than 200,000 people, and put more than 300,000 in frontline areas, some of which were mined by retreating LNA forces. More than 650,000 foreign migrants (largely from sub -Saharan Africa) also are in Libya and remain especially vulnerable. In 2020, multilateral diplomatic initiatives have sought to achieve and sustain a ceasefire between Libyan combatants (Figure 2) as aprecursorto renewed political reconciliation efforts. Ru s sia and Turkey engineered a temporary truce in January, but did not achieve a ceasefire. Meeting in Berlin, Germany later in January, the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council along with other key foreign actors jointly committed to supporting a series of new arrangements aimed at durably ending the conflict. GNA and LNA figures attended, but did not formally commit to a ceas efire. The Security Council endorsed the Berlin commitments in Resolution2510. The U.N. Support Miss ion in Libya (UNSMIL) then supported intra-Libyan security, political, and economic discussions, but COVID- 19 concerns andresumned fighting undernined progress. Figure I. Libya: Areas of Influence As of June 16, 2020 Source: Prepared by CRS using media and social media reporting. Years of division and conflict have weakened the Libyan health care system's ability to mitigate COVID-19-related risks. In April, Acting UNSMILhead Stephanie Williams said ongoing fighting was reckless andinhumane, saying it was stretchingthe capacity oflocal authorities and the health infras tructure that is already decimated. U.S. and U.N. officials have condemned post-Berlin weapons shipments to Libya as violations of the U.N. arms embargo and called for ahumanitarian ceasefire to allow the country to combat the spread of COVID-19, which, to date, appears to be limited. Following its retreat, the LNA proposed a ceasefire andreengaged in U.N.-sponsored talks. Rus sia, Turkey, and Egypt also have reengaged Libyan figures. Amid some continued fighting, humanitarian access is restricted. Oilproduction also remains disrupted, which threatens state finances. A L o n g ,,- ,,§ .. ... Libya's political transition has been disruptedby armed non-s tate groups and threatenedby theindecision and infighting ofinterimleaders for years. After an armed uprising endedthe40-plus-yearrule ofMuammar al Qadhafi in 2011, interim authorities proved unable to form a stable government, address pressing security is sues, reshapethe country's public finances, or create a viable framework for post-conflict reconciliation. Insecurity spread as local armed groups competed for influence and A A '2 Updated June 16,2020

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