My latest on AJE giving a brief overview of the way that negotiations in Geneva and Ghadames appear to be affecting the situation on the ground in Libya.
For peace negotiations to successfully halt a conflict, three conditions are usually required: the existence of discrete warring parties, represented at the talks by acknowledged leaders, each of whom possess sufficient clout to enforce any agreed upon peace terms on their supporters. Despite the heroic efforts of international mediators and the courageous confidence building measures embraced by the negotiations' participants, Libya's current civil war lacks all three prerequisites for a mediated solution to hold....A bloc of moderates has actually been formed and more actors are willing to join the talks each week. And yet, it is this momentum for rapprochement which has put significant strain on the fundamental alliances which had previously held together the political and military wings of Dawn and Dignity....Over the next weeks, centrifugal forces within each block are likely to gain in strength, reducing the potential effectiveness of any negotiated bargain. Meanwhile, new tribal, regional, local, and militia stakeholders are likely to emerge demanding to be accommodated or to cause havoc.To read the whole article click here.