Fadel M. Lamen

#Libya, there is a clear difference between strategic communications and strategic propaganda. In Libya today, we have the latter. Spending millions of dollars of Libya’s national wealth to mislead the Libyan people and undermine the country’s sovereignty and future is not just wrong—it is a crime against both present and future generations. The Libyan people deserve better, and they will have better under new leadership with a vision that serves all.

The announcement by the Italian company Eni of a new gas discovery of more than one trillion cubic feet in two new wells south of Libya’s Bahr Essalam gas field is important — and welcome news. But the more important question is governance. Re-raising the governance question is essential because it lies at the very heart of the issue. Every major discovery in Libya immediately opens a question more dangerous than geology itself: Who manages? Who decides? Who oversees? And who ultimately benefits? The oil and gas sector does not turn discoveries into real production through geology alone. It depends on stable investment decisions and functioning institutions — not on a failed, fragmented state hollowed out by corruption and predatory rent-seeking. If there is no unified state, no clear national budget, and no transparent mechanism for allocating revenues and investment, then what should be a national opportunity can quickly become new fuel for conflict over power, influence, and resource rents. #Libya #oil_Gas_Libya

إعلان شركة إيني الإيطالية عن اكتشاف جديد لأكثر من تريليون قدم مكعب من الغاز في بئرين جديدتين جنوب حقل غاز بحر السلام الليبي، خبر مهم وسار أيضا. السؤال الأكثر أهمية هو ماذا عن الحوكمة. إعادة طرح سؤال الحوكمة مهم جداً لأنه في قلب الحدث كل اكتشاف كبير في ليبيا يفتح فورًا سؤالاً أخطر من الجيولوجيا: من يدير؟ من يقرر؟ من يراقب؟ ومن يستفيد؟ قطاع النفط والغاز نفسه يعتمد في تحويل الاكتشاف إلى إنتاج فعلي على قرارات استثمارية ومؤسساتية مستقرة لا على دولة فاشلة ممزقة منقسمة ينخر في أحشاءها وأوصالها الفساد والنهب. إذا لم توجد دولة واحدة، ميزانية واضحة، وآلية شفافة لتخصيص الإيرادات والاستثمار، فقد يتحول الاكتشاف من فرصة وطنية إلى وقود جديد للصراع على النفوذ والريع. #ليبيا

When propaganda becomes policy, when deception becomes a method of governance, and when political lies replace a national solution, the most dangerous thing a country loses is not only time, money, or institutions, but truth itself. #Libya

حين تصبح البروباغاندا سياسة، ويصبح التضليل أسلوب حكم، ويصبح الكذب السياسي بديلاً عن الحل الوطني، فإن أخطر ما تخسره البلاد ليس فقط الوقت أو المال أو المؤسسات، بل الحقيقة نفسها. #ليبيا

#Libya: Begging in an Oil-Rich State Begging in Libya’s streets, especially in Tripoli, is no longer an isolated social problem. It is a warning sign of something far deeper: poverty, weak institutions, social breakdown, organized exploitation, and the erosion of human dignity. Yes, some of it is driven by criminal networks that use women and children. But a growing part of it reflects real hardship among Libyans themselves. That is the true scandal. In a country with vast oil wealth, citizens should not be driven to beg for food or survival. When that happens, the problem is not lack of resources. It is corruption, mismanagement, political division, and the collapse of state responsibility. Begging in a rich country is not just an economic failure. It is a national humiliation. Libya does not need more excuses. It needs one state, functioning institutions, social protection, equal opportunity, and a leadership that protects both public wealth and human dignity. A rich country should not produce humiliated citizens.

في خضم الصراعات والتماوجات العالمية (#ليبيا ليست مشكلةً تُعالَج، بل أصلٌ استراتيجي يُبنى معه شراكة)

#Libya should not be looked at as a "problem to be solved," but as a "strategic asset to partner with ."

#ليبيا: وفقاً للمقال الجديد الصادر عن لوكا غامبارديلا (@GambLuca) "عدم استقرار في المتوسط" "ليبيا، التي لا تزال بلد المغادرة الرئيسي للمهاجرين — حيث وصل 1,386 شخصاً إلى إيطاليا ممن أبحروا من السواحل الليبية بين يناير وأوائل فبراير — شهدت خروج الآلاف إلى الشوارع الأسبوع الماضي للاحتجاج على ارتفاع الأسعار والفساد. وصرح فضيل الأمين، المدير السابق للمجلس الوطني للتطوير الاقتصادي والاجتماعي في ليبيا، لصحيفة "Il Foglio" الإيطالية التي صدرت يوم 5 مارس 2026 بأن عدم الاستقرار هو نتاج الانقسام السياسي والمالي، قائلاً: 'الدينار ينهار، مع أزمة عملة نجمت عن آلية تبادل تؤدي إلى دفع أكثر من 40% من الخام المصدر في شكل وقود ديزل بدلاً من النقد. هذا الديزل يُعاد بيعه بعد ذلك في السوق السوداء، والنتيجة هي غياب السيولة حالياً" وبعيداً عن الحرب في إيران، تجد ليبيا نفسها أمام أزمة مالية حادة تعصف بمؤسساتها الرئيسية: المصرف المركزي، والمؤسسة الوطنية للنفط، والمؤسسة الليبية للاستثمار. وقد أوقفت المؤسسة الوطنية للنفط مؤخراً كافة برامج الإنفاق. ويوضح الصحفي والمحلل الاقتصادي محمد الجرج قائلاً: 'إن أزمة السيولة الحالية التي تعاني منها المؤسسة مرتبطة بغياب ميزانية للدولة لثلاث دورات مالية متتالية. وقد أجبر هذا المؤسسة الوطنية للنفط على العمل بنظام إدارة التدفقات النقدية الضيقة بدلاً من التخطيط المالي المهيكل'. المعادلة البسيطة هي: مال أقل، يعني استقراراً أقل."

#Libya, according to this new article below by @GambLuca “Libya, which remains the main departure country for migrants—1,386 people arrived in Italy and departed from Libyan coasts between January and early February—saw thousands of people take to the streets last week to protest rising prices and corruption. Fadel Lamen, former director of the Libyan National Economic and Social Development Board, told Il Foglio that instability is the child of political and financial division: “The dinar is collapsing, with a currency crisis triggered by an exchange mechanism that results in over 40 percent of exported crude being paid back with diesel fuel instead of cash. Diesel that is then resold on the black market. The result is that there is now a lack of liquidity.” Beyond the war in Iran, Libya finds itself with its main institutions—the Central Bank, the National Oil Corporation (NOC), the Libyan Investment Authority—in a severe financial crisis. The NOC has recently halted every spending program. “The current liquidity crisis afflicting it is linked to the absence of a state budget for three consecutive fiscal cycles,” explains Mohammed Elgrj, a journalist and economic analyst. “This has forced the NOC to operate with tight cash-flow management rather than with structured fiscal planning.” The simple equation—less money, more instability”

No taxation without law… and no law without a state. The absurd game of fees and taxes in the absence of a single, functioning state is dangerous—and deadly. Its victim is the ordinary citizen. And its authors are those who want to solve their crises at people’s expense, inflate their own incomes, or dodge a harsh reality that cannot be fixed by manipulating its symptoms, but only by confronting its root causes. What is being marketed today as a “tax list” or “fees” on food, consumer goods, and basic necessities is legally and practically invalid. In reality, it looks like nothing more than collective punishment of citizens who are paying for crises they did not create. Even worse is the chaos of blurred mandates and overlapping responsibilities. By law, the Central Bank has no authority to impose taxes or fees, no right to decide “grants and handouts,” and no business interfering in letters of credit outside the competent executive authority—except through institutional coordination with the Ministries of Economy and Finance under a clear legal framework. The Central Bank is not a “cash machine.” It is a sovereign institution tasked with designing monetary policy and safeguarding financial stability—not collecting levies or running the state through substitutes. In the absence of one government and an effective executive authority, institutions fight over powers, files collide, and every side improvises in its own way—like the wheels of a car each trying to move on its own, in a different direction. A single government is the engine and the steering wheel. The message is clear: No new taxes. No new levies that crush the citizen. Treat the cause—don’t punish the victim. The solution is one state… one government… and unified institutions—disciplined in their mandates and responsibilities. #Libya

Libyans from Tripoli and several other cities have taken to the streets in protest— not in pursuit of power, not chasing a position, not begging for the same false promises they’ve heard a thousand times. They came out with one cry: Enough corruption. Enough looting. Enough contempt for a people who have endured until endurance itself ran out. The reality is now unmistakable—except to those blinded by greed: a state bleeding from every vein; institutions paralyzed by division and patronage; public services collapsing like falling dominoes; and daily life growing harsher by the day. And the ordinary citizen is crushed alone beneath the rubble, while networks of influence and corruption race to carve up what remains of a nation’s wealth—a nation that should have been a paradise, not a hell. The numbers behind the theft are no longer rumors. They have become documented scandals—so staggering they shock even those who thought they had seen it all. And the UN road map did not stall by chance. It was deliberately stopped—sabotaged by hands that do not want darkness to lift or stability to take root. Because chaos profits them. Division feeds their empires. And disorder is their natural habitat. But—this is what terrifies them—hope is not dead. Because when a people move with clarity and awareness, petty calculations collapse and paper fortresses fall. The answer is not new slogans painted on walls, nor swapping faces with cosmetic fixes and minor touch-ups while the same game—and its rules—remains unchanged. There is only one solution: A new, single, national unity government—inclusive and truly representative—led with wisdom and responsibility, ending the era of division and collapse and bringing everyone into one shared future, without exclusion or marginalization. A real unification of financial, security, and service institutions under one state authority that cannot be split or shared. Restoring the authority of the state through law, not moods— through institutions, not militias. Shutting the gates of looting through real transparency and accountability—with no red lines. And an emergency services program that citizens can feel immediately—in electricity, fuel, medicine, and salaries—not in a year, but now. Today, the opportunity is greater than it has been in a long time: the street is awake; the world is watching; and the obstructers are exposed for all to see. There is no longer any room for those who trade an entire nation’s fate to protect their own interests. The time has come for everyone to step onto the ship of the state— to be part of the solution, not the source of the crisis, and not its shadow. So let us close ranks—now, not tomorrow. Let us unite every sincere national force. Let us outrun time before time outruns us. And let us return hope to the eyes of people who feel they have nothing left to lose. Libya is a great country—waiting for its honorable sons and daughters to lead it toward what it truly deserves. The people want one الوطن—one country. One government. One state that restores their dignity and their worth. #Libya @UNinLibya @UNSMILibya @USEmbassyLibya @_AfricanUnion @USAfricaCommand

Ramadan with the Libyan National Traditional clothes. #Libya

A Serious Alarm Bell — But Could It Mark the Beginning of a Long-Overdue Awakening? The collapse of the Libyan dinar to an unprecedented low (10 dinars to the dollar on the cash market) is an extremely dangerous indicator of the broader breakdown the country is experiencing—economically and politically. While oil production continues at its current pace and is sold in dollars with a known revenue stream, the Libyan currency is eroding at an alarming rate. The purchasing power of the dinar is shrinking painfully—especially for imported goods, which are priced in dollars to begin with. What we must clearly understand is that the erosion of the national currency, despite the existence of steady oil revenues, carries deep political and strategic implications. A comparison with countries such as Tunisia and Jordan—both of which maintain relative currency stability despite lacking sustained oil income like Libya’s—makes one fact unmistakably clear: the problem is not the exchange rate in itself, nor is it merely a matter of technical measures taken (or not taken) by the Central Bank. The core issue is the existence, continuity, and stability of the state — and that is precisely what we lack today. A functioning state ensures political and institutional stability, protects its citizens, safeguards public funds, controls spending, and guarantees the optimal use of national income. A state that adopts sound economic policies generates real added national wealth by diversifying the economy, creating an attractive investment environment, and preserving market stability. One unified national state builds confidence — domestically and internationally — in its institutions, its economy, and its policies. One unified national state protects public funds and confronts the entrenched corruption that drains resources, weakens the currency, and strips citizens of hope. No matter how many technical measures or monetary adjustments the Central Bank attempts, it cannot truly stabilize or strengthen the Libyan dinar without a single unified state — led by one national government, clean-handed and credible — with leadership capable of demonstrating to Libyans and to the world that it can move the country from collapse toward stability, unity, and prosperity. Either we reclaim the state, or we allow collapse to consume what remains. Without that, we will continue to witness what we see and endure today — further erosion, rising prices, and a deepening loss of confidence. And yet, despite the pain, hope remains. Libya possesses more than enough potential to rise again — if there is genuine national will, responsible leadership, and a true state-building project. What is happening today must serve as an alarm bell — but also as the beginning of an awakening, even if it comes late. #Libya #CBL #NOC

Our position has always been clear: the steps and mechanisms of the political settlement must remain in the hands of Libya’s legitimate institutions—the House of Representatives and the High Council of State—each acting within its respective mandate as set out in the Constitutional Declaration and the Libyan Political Agreement. On that basis, and with full respect, the UN Mission built its political roadmap to reunify Libya and move the country toward elections. Yet the failure to resolve the first step—completing, by consensus, the Board of Commissioners of the High National Elections Commission—has brought the process to a halt. More troubling still, the obstruction practiced by some is not a procedural stumble; it is deliberate, intended to prolong the status quo. A minority’s wager on “preserving division” is a losing wager. Obstruction will not stop the UN roadmap—but it will, regrettably, weaken the confidence of the Libyan people, the international community, and the UN Mission in the ability of Libya’s institutions to rise above dependency and narrow interests. It also sends a damaging message: that some are placing short-term political calculations above an urgent national priority. All of this is unfolding at a moment when Libya and its people are facing some of the most dangerous and rapidly deteriorating economic, security, political, and service conditions—conditions that risk tipping the country toward rupture, chaos, and violence. In the days ahead, the Mission may be forced to propose an alternative mechanism, after allowing more than enough time for the current track—one that could limit the role of those obstructing the process, or exclude them altogether. Some may applaud that, mistakenly treating it as a victory. In reality, they would be undermining the credibility of the very institution they claim to represent—potentially pushing it toward political marginalization or irrelevance, and effectively validating those who argue for sidelining it. Experience has shown that UN plans endorsed by the Security Council move forward regardless of attempts to derail them. National necessity and international resolve are stronger than any party seeking to extend its political survival by a few hours or a few weeks. There is now a short and critical window that the two councils can seize—working with the UN Mission—to complete the first and second steps of the UN roadmap before the UN Envoy’s next briefing to the Security Council on 18 February 2026. This is the last opportunity. We hold the obstructers accountable—politically and morally—before the Libyan people. The nation endures. The will to end a division that has lasted fourteen years is stronger than those who have invested their corruption and their effort in keeping it alive—using it to bankrupt the Libyan state and dismantle what remains of its institutions. The time has come to choose the country —Libya—over self and to stand with the supreme national interest. -#Libya

Political assassination in Libya is not an isolated “security incident.” It becomes an alternative language of politics when the state is absent—when competition shifts from the ballot box to the logic of “elimination by force.” In this climate, an opinion becomes a risk, movement becomes an adventure, and public service becomes an act of courage that cannot guarantee its bearer even the simplest right: safety. The killing of Saif—whatever the details and circumstances—cannot be understood merely as news, or as an event tied to a single figure. It is a marker of how fragile the Libyan moment is, and a reminder that the conflict remains capable of sliding rapidly from “political balances” into “settling scores,” and from disputes over legitimacy into a clash over existence. When figures are assassinated or targeted, the message is not aimed at the individual alone, but at society as a whole: “No one is protected.” This is the heart of the danger: Libya today may face the risks of chaos not because Libyans want it, but because the absence of a single state leaves a vacuum filled by competing forces—each holding a share of power without holding a duty to protect everyone. Without one state that protects its citizens, the country becomes islands of influence, and security becomes a “service” that is bought or negotiated, rather than an equal right for all. In such an environment, political work becomes almost impossible in its natural sense: How do you persuade people with a program when the weapon comes before the discourse? How is public trust built when disagreement may cost a person their life? How do you open paths to reconciliation when fear blocks every meeting, movement, or civic activity? The result is clear: political assassination does not only kill a person… it kills the public sphere. It kills the idea of participation. It kills the possibility of national leadership emerging—leadership that can move freely between cities and rally people around a project of statehood. And it turns politics into a closed space for those who possess protection, not for those who possess vision. That is why speaking of the “dangerous Libyan situation” is not emotional rhetoric. It is a realistic description of a country that cannot move forward while freedom of movement is constrained, rivalry can turn into a threat, and the law is unable to impose even a minimum level of safety. What we need is not more words, but one state: a state that clearly monopolizes weapons, protects all citizens without discrimination, guarantees freedom of political work and public work, and keeps political disagreement within the law… not outside it. If we do not reach this state, we will remain trapped in an exhausting cycle: every time we come close to a settlement, a security incident shatters trust and sends everyone back to the starting point. And this is precisely what the proponents of a “zero-sum outcome” want. Therefore, Libya’s priority today is not only “who governs”… but “how we protect the state itself from death.” The risks of liquidation or assassination may be part of political work even under normal circumstances—let alone in times of tension, conflict, and state collapse. In such moments, the level of risk rises, the space for public work narrows, and movement and the free word become more costly. But this will not deter us, will not frighten us, and will not push us to retreat. On the contrary, it strengthens our determination to continue the work and struggle to restore the state, and to build a united homeland—stable, secure, and prosperous. This is the path… this is the struggle, and there is no other way. May God have mercy on the late Saif al-Islam with abundant mercy and forgive him. Sincere condolences and sympathy to his family, relatives, and supporters. We ask God to grant them patience and solace, and to protect Libya and its people from all evil. #Libya.

الاغتيال السياسي في ليبيا ليس “حادثاً أمنياً” معزولاً. هو لغة بديلة للسياسة حين تغيب الدولة، وحين تتحول المنافسة من صناديق الاقتراع إلى منطق “الإقصاء بالقوة”. في هذا المناخ، يصبح الرأي مخاطرة، وتصبح الحركة مغامرة، ويصبح العمل العام فعل شجاعة لا يضمن صاحبه أبسط حقوقه: الأمان. واغتيال سيف الإسلام القذافي— أيّاً كانت التفاصيل والملابسات — لا يمكن قراءته فقط كخبر أو كحدث مرتبط بشخصية بعينها. إنه مؤشر على هشاشة اللحظة الليبية وعلى أن الصراع ما زال قادراً على الانزلاق بسرعة من “توازنات سياسية” إلى “تصفية حسابات”، ومن خلافات على الشرعية إلى صدام على الوجود. عندما تُغتال الشخصيات أو تُستهدف، فإن الرسالة لا تُوجَّه للفرد وحده، بل للمجتمع كله: “لا أحد محمي”. هذا هو جوهر الخطر: ليبيا اليوم قد تعيش مخاطر الفوضى لا لأن الليبيين يريدونها، بل لأن الدولة الواحدة الغائبة تترك فراغاً تملؤه قوى متنافسة، كل منها يملك جزءاً من القوة ولا يملك واجب الحماية للجميع. في غياب دولة واحدة تحمي مواطنيها، تتحول البلاد إلى جزر نفوذ، ويتحوّل الأمن إلى “خدمة” تُشترى أو يتم التُفاوض عليها، لا إلى حق متساوٍ للجميع. وفي هذه البيئة، يصبح العمل السياسي شبه مستحيل بمعناه الطبيعي: كيف تُقنع الناس ببرنامج، إذا كان السلاح يسبق الخطاب؟ كيف تُبنى ثقة عامة، إذا كان الاختلاف قد يكلّف الإنسان حياته؟ كيف تُفتح مسارات مصالحة، إذا كان الخوف يقطع الطريق على أي لقاء أو حركة أو نشاط؟ النتيجة واضحة: الاغتيال السياسي لا يقتل شخصًا فقط… بل يقتل المجال العام. يقتل فكرة المشاركة. يقتل إمكانية ظهور قيادات وطنية تتحرك بين المدن بحرية وتجمع الناس حول مشروع دولة. ويحوّل السياسة إلى مساحة مغلقة على من يملك الحماية، لا على من يملك الرؤية. لذلك، الحديث عن “الوضع الليبي الخطير” ليس خطابًا عاطفياً. إنه توصيف واقعي لبلدٍ لا يمكن أن يتقدم بينما حرية الحركة مُقيدة، والخصومة قابلة للتحول إلى تهديد، والقانون غير قادر على فرض حدٍّ أدنى من الأمان. ما نحتاجه ليس مزيداً من الكلمات، بل دولة واحدة: دولة تحتكر السلاح بوضوح، تحمي كل المواطنين بلا تمييز، تضمن حرية العمل السياسي والعمل العام، وتجعل الخلاف السياسي خلافاً داخل القانون… لا خارجه. إن لم نصل إلى هذه الدولة، سنظل نعيش في دائرة مُرهِقة: كلما اقتربنا من تسوية، وقع حدث أمني ينسف الثقة، ويعيد الجميع إلى نقطة الصفر. وهذا ما يريده أصحاب "المحصلة الصفرية". ولهذا، فإن أولوية ليبيا اليوم ليست “من يحكم” فقط… بل “كيف نحمي الدولة نفسها من الموت”. مخاطر التصفية أو الاغتيال قد تكون جزءًا من العمل السياسي حتى في الظروف العادية، فكيف في أوقات التوتر والصراع وانهيار الدولة. في مثل هذه اللحظات ترتفع درجة المخاطر، وتضيق مساحة العمل العام، وتصبح الحركة والكلمة الحرة أثقل كلفة. لكن هذا لن يثنينا، ولن يخيفنا، ولن يدفعنا للتراجع. بل يزيدنا إصراراً على مواصلة العمل والنضال من أجل إعادة الدولة، وبناء وطن موحّد، مستقر، آمن، ومزدهر. هذا هو المسار… وهذا هو النضال ولا سبيل غيره. رحم الله الفقيد سيف الإسلام رحمةً واسعة وغفر له. خالص التعازي والمواساة لأهله وذويه وجمهوره، ونسأل الله أن يلهمهم الصبر والسلوان، وأن يحفظ ليبيا وأهلها من كل سوء. #ليبيا