Islamic State in Libya: From Force to Farce? - ICSR Report
In this report, Research Fellow Inga Kristina Trauthig argues that IS in Libya is trying to portray itself in a hyperbolic way. While the group’s activity in 2018 has been relatively weak – even more so in 2019 – the volatility and geography of the country as well as prevailing grievances remain pull factors for IS in Libya, which makes the group potentially threatening, even if the organisation is currently negligible.
She starts by briefly outlining the history of Islamic State in Libya and then examines the aspects that draw IS to Libya specifically, as well as its overall agenda. Then, she analyses data collected on IS in Libya in 2018 and 2019 in order to assess the group’s strength in the country. In the final part of the report, current conflict dynamics are related to the assessment of IS in order to provide an outlook for the terrorist group in the North African country of Libya.