This report covers political and security updates in Libya for the week of August 29 - September 4, 2025. Clients can download the full report at the end of the summary.
With growing political instability in western Libya, there is a clear sense that the status quo is shifting, triggering an intensified struggle over the country’s vast natural wealth.
In July, the GCC Supreme Council announced the approval of a unified tourist visa allowing foreigners to access all six countries within the bloc using a single permit. With plans to pilot this by the end of 2025, the relaxation of rules encourages multi-destination trips across the Gulf region.
The chances of renewed fighting across the Libyan capital, Tripoli, appear increasingly likely as efforts to contain GNU Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dabaiba fail.
The United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL)’s new political roadmap for resolving the national crisis has received rare praise across Libya’s political spectrum. It presents a real opportunity for success, but only if UNSMIL can capitalize on its momentum.
On 8 August, the Azerbaijani and Armenian leaders signed an agreement in Washington that is poised to end more than three decades of bilateral tensions and open the way to better connectivity, not only in the South Caucasus but also for the Middle Corridor linking China to Europe.
Libya’s High National Election Commission (HNEC) has finally conducted the long-awaited second round of municipal elections, but uncertainty remains as momentum builds for new national elections.
