Misrata Emerges as Key Obstacle to Libya Settlement Efforts

Resistance from factions in the Libyan city of Misrata to power-sharing proposals has triggered a coordinated push by the United Nations and the United States to prevent disruptions to the “4+4” dialogue table. The city, located 187 kilometers east of Tripoli in northwestern Libya, is considered pivotal to any political settlement in the country.

US presidential advisor Massad Boulos is promoting a political resolution to the institutional divide, running parallel to a UN-backed initiative that brings together key actors from eastern and western Libya in a mini-dialogue. This smaller forum held its first meeting in Rome and is set to reconvene in Tunisia this week. Politicians have described these moves as an attempt to redistribute influence through top-down understandings.

Rome Talks and Italian Interests

To set the political stage, the issue of “stabilizing Libya” was discussed in Rome on Friday between Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, just one day after interim Government of National Unity head Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh visited Italy. Misrata holds a special status for Italy, hosting an Italian military presence that Rome acknowledged years ago, justifying it as a response to a 2016 request from the former Government of National Accord.

The United States, in its pursuit of foreign policy gains, is intensifying efforts to launch a new Libyan national process. These efforts, led by senior Africa advisor Massad Boulos, are gaining notable momentum and are considered the first serious push in roughly five years.

Boulos’ Three-Track Approach

Boulos initially divided his initiatives into three tracks: economic, security, and political. The main problem in the economic file was the absence of a unified budget, with both governments overspending and burdening the Libyan economy. Because western Libya remains deeply divided on security matters, Boulos focused on bringing together a small number of actors the US considers influential, rather than seeking broad consensus.

This activity recently culminated in hosting the “Flintlock” military exercises in Sirte, involving the Libyan National Army and key western groups like the 444 and 111 Brigades, and the formation of a smaller 3+3 military committee. Since last year, some of the largest security groups in western Libya have strengthened ties with the Libyan National Army, initially as a counterbalance to Dbeibeh, suggesting enough political and security actors exist in both east and west to advance Boulos’ deal.

Misrata’s Central Role

Western Libya has long been the main obstacle to any negotiations, as any agreement on unity would sideline most political figures in the region. Misrata, not Tripoli, remains the biggest challenge for the Tripoli government in the west. Dbeibeh is likely able to secure the capital due to the strong presence of loyal security groups. Misrata is one of the most powerful military actors in western Libya, with its armed groups coordinating heavily through negotiations and consensus.

Critically, Dbeibeh has failed to unify Misrata and has sought to weaken senior security leaders who could rival him, allowing smaller groups to play a larger role in the city’s affairs. Former spokesman for the Libyan Presidential Council, political researcher Mohamed al-Sallak, stated that political and military forces in Misrata view the current political path, including the 4+4 mini-dialogue, with great suspicion. The first steps in Rome were surprising, he noted, as the meeting focused on restructuring the High Electoral Commission and involving the House of Representatives and the High Council of State in the new body, while avoiding discussion of forming a new executive authority.

In remarks to *Erem News*, al-Sallak saw this as an apparent attempt to bypass the initial hurdle and dispel fears of opponents who view the track as a way to entrench power-sharing between two families.

UN and US Responses

UN mission head Hanna Tetteh, accompanied by deputy Stephanie Khoury, visited Misrata coinciding with a protest by residents rejecting the Boulos initiative. In a simultaneous response, Boulos affirmed that the US supports the UN-led roadmap, stressing that Washington would continue efforts to bridge viewpoints. “Washington will be at the forefront of diplomatic efforts to bring together eastern and western Libya and create conditions for comprehensive political unity,” he said. According to Boulos, “the current phase requires serious work toward unifying Libya on economic, military, and political levels, a path that serves the interest of all Libyans.”