FRAGMENTATION OF TERRITORIES, TRAFFICKING AND PREDATION OF RESOURCES AT THE ROOT OF THE EMERGENCE OF TERRORISM IN LIBYA: HOW DID FEZZAN BECOME A SANCTUARY FOR DAECH?

Abstract

The post-insurgency situation in Libya is characterized by territorial division, the resurgence of tribal identities, and a high level of conflict. This fragmentation is reflected in the absence of any control over entire sections of the country, which are transformed into empty interstices or “hollows of the State” invested by Daesh. The organization was able to take advantage of the inextricable divisions that were tearing the militias and territories apart to undertake the construction of its territorial project in Sirte and Derna, before experiencing a military defeat. Its migration (hijra) toward Fezzan in order to establish a sanctuary there certainly showed the organization's resilience, but it quickly found itself facing resistance from powerful local tribal factions.