US and Regional Powers Push for Unified Libyan Government Amid Ongoing Conflict

The 2011 revolt that ended Gaddafi’s four-decade rule left Libya divided between the Tripoli-based Government of National Unity, led by Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dheibah, and the eastern administration backed by Khalifa Haftar’s Libyan National Army. The United Nations has been mediating since 2020, but recent US diplomacy, spearheaded by Special Envoy Richard Norlan, proposes a power-sharing deal that would retain Dheibah as head of government and install Saddam Haftar, the 35-year-old son of Khalifa Haftar, as president, with the promise of U.S. oil investment.

Regional actors Turkiye, Egypt and Qatar are also pursuing a “One Libya” agenda, holding high-level talks with both Tripoli and Tobruk leaders. While Haftar’s camp appears receptive, no formal negotiations have produced a unified government yet. The effort aims to stabilize Libya’s oil sector, curb migration flows, and create conditions for elections under the UN roadmap.