Libya instability
Libya remains split between the UN-recognized Government of National Unity in Tripoli and eastern authorities aligned with Khalifa Haftar's Libyan National Army. A 2020 ceasefire ended large-scale war, but militia clashes, drone strikes on oil and fuel sites, and assassinations continued through 2026, while UN-backed plans for elections remain unimplemented.
Conflict zones
Click a shape for details and sourcesZones, lines of contact and strike arcs are approximate and illustrative, drawn from public reporting. They are not authoritative; click a shape for its sources. Borders from Natural Earth, with Crimea shown as part of Ukraine in line with UN General Assembly resolution 68/262.
Key facts
Human cost
- 5 reportedXinhua via China.org.cn as of 4 Aug 2026Single incident: armed clashes in Sorman/Zawiya on 4 Aug 2026; no reliable nationwide annual total found
- 31 estimatedUCDP GED Candidate 26.0.9 as of 10 Aug 2026UCDP best estimate, events 1 Jan to 10 Aug 2026; low 31, high 31
- 106,371 reportedIOM Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM) Libya as of 31 Dec 2025IDPs only (conflict and disaster), Dec 2025; 76% reported to be on solutions pathways
- 53,754 reportedUNHCR Refugee Data Finder (API, end-2025) as of 31 Dec 2025refugees, asylum-seekers, IDPs and others in need of protection from LBY; UNHCR end-2025
- reportedACLED aggregated data, up to week of 24 Oct 2026 as of 24 Oct 2026
Parties and actors
- Government of National Unity (Tripoli) and aligned armed groups Internationally recognized government · aligned with West
- Libyan National Army (Khalifa Haftar) and eastern government Rival armed forces and administration · aligned with East
- Local militias (e.g. in Zawiya, Tripoli) Non-state armed groups
Parties are listed factually by name and role. Inclusion does not imply any judgement.
Negotiations
Negotiations hub- Parties
- Government of National Unity, House of Representatives / eastern authorities, Libyan civil society
- Mediators
- UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL)
- Last development
- 18 Jun 2026
The UN envoy presented a roadmap covering elections, unifying institutions, security and economic reform; a dialogue with about 120 Libyans produced nearly 600 recommendations, but rival authorities have not agreed on electoral terms.
UN News as of 18 Jun 2026Trend: events and reported fatalities by month
Show data table
| Month | Events | Fatalities |
|---|---|---|
| Oct 2026 | 10 | 8 |
| Sep 2026 | 21 | 12 |
| Aug 2026 | 38 | 21 |
| Jul 2026 | 25 | 28 |
| Jun 2026 | 31 | 20 |
| May 2026 | 31 | 40 |
| Apr 2026 | 26 | 13 |
| Mar 2026 | 20 | 15 |
| Feb 2026 | 24 | 26 |
| Jan 2026 | 23 | 13 |
| Dec 2025 | 14 | 11 |
| Nov 2025 | 29 | 18 |
| Oct 2025 | 22 | 7 |
| Sep 2025 | 32 | 24 |
| Aug 2025 | 45 | 31 |
| Jul 2025 | 30 | 22 |
| Jun 2025 | 17 | 7 |
| May 2025 | 55 | 66 |
| Apr 2025 | 28 | 23 |
| Mar 2025 | 35 | 16 |
| Feb 2025 | 17 | 36 |
| Jan 2025 | 25 | 15 |
| Dec 2024 | 6 | 2 |
| Nov 2024 | 31 | 20 |
| Oct 2024 | 8 | 2 |
| Sep 2024 | 16 | 9 |
| Aug 2024 | 31 | 36 |
| Jul 2024 | 27 | 11 |
| Jun 2024 | 26 | 24 |
| May 2024 | 17 | 15 |
| Apr 2024 | 22 | 11 |
| Mar 2024 | 20 | 10 |
| Feb 2024 | 14 | 17 |
| Jan 2024 | 7 | 2 |
| Dec 2023 | 12 | 6 |
| Nov 2023 | 4 | 0 |
| Oct 2023 | 5 | 8 |
| Sep 2023 | 4 | 0 |
| Aug 2023 | 15 | 56 |
| Jul 2023 | 6 | 3 |
| Jun 2023 | 4 | 0 |
| May 2023 | 10 | 13 |
| Apr 2023 | 3 | 5 |
| Mar 2023 | 2 | 0 |
| Feb 2023 | 6 | 5 |
| Jan 2023 | 4 | 2 |
| Dec 2022 | 8 | 5 |
| Nov 2022 | 5 | 4 |
| Oct 2022 | 8 | 15 |
| Sep 2022 | 6 | 8 |
| Aug 2022 | 10 | 33 |
| Jul 2022 | 11 | 20 |
| Jun 2022 | 13 | 8 |
| May 2022 | 15 | 16 |
| Apr 2022 | 13 | 13 |
| Mar 2022 | 4 | 1 |
| Feb 2022 | 8 | 21 |
| Jan 2022 | 15 | 12 |
| Dec 2021 | 6 | 19 |
| Nov 2021 | 9 | 4 |
Events by type
Most affected provinces
Sources and further reading
- Xinhua via China.org.cn as of 4 Aug 2026
- UCDP GED Candidate 26.0.9 as of 10 Aug 2026
- IOM Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM) Libya as of 31 Dec 2025
- UNHCR Refugee Data Finder (API, end-2025) as of 31 Dec 2025
- ACLED aggregated data, up to week of 24 Oct 2026 as of 24 Oct 2026
- UN News as of 18 Jun 2026
- ACLED as of 12 Aug 2026
- IOM DTM Libya as of 30 Jun 2026
- CFR Global Conflict Tracker as of 3 Aug 2026
- CFR Global Conflict Tracker: Instability in Libya as of 2 Oct 2026
- ACLED: Drone attacks on Zawiya as of 2 Oct 2026