The Problem of Sovereignty and International Intervention in Libya after 2011: An Analytical Study in Light of the Rules of Public International Law

Abstract

This study analyzes the problem of sovereignty and international intervention in Libya after 2011 in light of the rules of public international law. The NATO-led military intervention under UN Security Council Resolution 1973 marked a turning point in Libya’s sovereignty, as the mission shifted from civilian protection to regime change. Subsequently, Libya witnessed multiple regional and international interventions that further complicated the legal and political scene, particularly with competing governments and internal division weakening the state’s legal representation. The research discusses the evolution of sovereignty, the principle of non-intervention, and the application of the Responsibility to Protect, assessing the legality of international interventions in Libya and highlighting the challenges of recognition and sovereignty consolidation. The study concludes that international interventions in Libya, although partly based on UN resolutions, undermined national sovereignty due to exceeding the authorized mandate and the multiplicity of unlawful interventions.