Wolfram Lacher
Wolfram Lacher is a senior associate at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP) in Berlin. His research focuses on conflict in Libya and the Sahel region. His work has appeared in Survival, Mediterranean Politics, Foreign Affairs, The Washington Post, Le Monde and elsewhere. He is the author of “Libya’s Fragmentation” (2020) and co-editor of “Violence and Social Transformation in Libya” (2023).
Latest from Wolfram Lacher
Libya’s Struggles Empower a Clan
At the heart of the puzzle is a power struggle in Tripoli that has reshaped Libya’s political alliances and helped the Haftar family to unparalleled funds to dispense patronage. As a result of that struggle, the hemorrhage of state funds is worsening, Haftar’s sons are consolidating their power and, ultimately, the shaky balance that has maintained the calm in Libya over the past decade might come undone.
How Libya’s Central Bank Chief Survived a Decade of Conflict
Even senior foreign diplomats who regularly meet Libya's central banker concede he remains a mystery to them. He is neither the ultimate barrier against the pillage of the Libyan state, as he himself maintains, nor the biggest culprit behind its crisis, as his enemies say.
Libya’s Escalating Power Struggle
Further escalation appears to be the path of least resistance. While a critical mass of actors favors a negotiated solution that would sideline both Dbeibah and Bashagha, there is currently no forum for talks. The U.N. has lost the initiative to Egypt, which is hosting negotiations between Libya’s two legislative bodies on a legal framework for elections.