The Role of United Nations in the Libyan 17 February Revolution, until the Adoption of the Libyan Political Agreement (LPA) of 17 December 2015

Abstract

On the 15th of February 2011, the anti-government protesters in Bengazi started to protest against Mummar al-Qadhafi, the former president of Libya who governed as the Brotherly Leader and Guide of the Revolution from 1969 to 2011. Meanwhile, the Libyan regime started to use its weapons against the protesters. After a while, the regime lost state control over weapons and the fighting spread in the country. The regime no longer was the only entity that had the exclusive right to use force and weapons. On the 20th of October 2011, al-Qadhafi was killed; hence, there was a vacuum in the authority. The protesters found themselves in a confrontation with the infighting in Libya. The fight between the two sides mushroomed sharply within the country. Ten days later from the beginning of the Libyan revolution ―the United Nations condemned officially the violations of human rights‖. This paper will discuss the role of the United Nations and the League of Arab Nations in Libya. The UNSC resolutions 1970 and 1973 played significant roles in Libya. To illustrate, Resolution 1970 was preparation for 1973 to take more measures to end the chaos and the spreading of weapons. The LAN‘s resolution 7360 was a very crucial resolution in this conflict as this resolution supported the UNSC resolution 1973. The UNSC resolutions 1970, 1973, 2009, and the LAS‘S resolution 7360 go in the same line; in other words, each resolution was a step that led to the next resolution.