MOSCOW, October 20 (RIA Novosti) – There will be no stability in Libya in the near future, Pogos Akopov, former Russian Ambassador to many Arab countries, including Libya, said Monday confirming the earlier prognosis of many Russian diplomats.
"As was estimated three years ago, and it is my personal opinion, the situation in Libya is very unlikely to stabilize within the next two, three or even five years," Akopov said at a round table held at Rossyia Segodnya News Agency and dedicated to the third anniversary of Libya's leader Muammar Gaddafi's death.
He recalled that in 2011, when Gaddafi was overthrown, a number of Russian diplomats and experts predicted further destabilization and "chaos" in the country.
"A distinctive feature of Muammar Gaddafi's policy was that it reflected the national interests of the country, the majority of Libya's population. His social and economic policy was in accord with the interests of Libyan people," Akopov added.
Gaddafi’s regime was overthrown in October 2011 by opposition forces with NATO’s assistance after a seven-month civil war. Gaddafi, who had ruled the country for almost 42 years, was captured and killed by rebels near his home town of Sirte on October 20.
Libya is currently facing its worst wave of violence since the 2011 overthrow and the subsequent civil war. The ensuing power vacuum has allowed numerous militias in the country to run rampant.
According to Libya Body Count data, the violence in the country has claimed the lives of over 1,800 people in 2014 alone.
Unsettled disputes in Libya's new government has created a diarchy in which powers are shared by the elected parliament and the Prime Minister Abdullah Thani on one side, and by the pro-Islamic General National Congress and its self-proclaimed Prime Minister Omar Hasi on the other. However some parts of the country are not controlled by any of the central powers.
