Tribes in Libya: from social organization to political power

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Periodical article

Title:	Tribes in Libya: from social organization to political power
Author:	Hweio, Haala
Year:	2012
Periodical:	African Conflict and Peacebuilding Review (ISSN 2156-7263)
Volume:	2
Issue:	1
Pages:	111-121
Language:	English
Geographic term:	Libya
Subjects:	revolutions ethnicity political participation identity
External link:	https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.2979/africonfpeacrevi.2.1.111
Abstract:	The war in Libya is currently one of the major issues in news and political analyses. The role which tribes play in this revolution seems important when considering the Libyan revolution against Muammar Qaddafi's regime. Many analysts consider the tribes to be central actors in either activating the revolution or suppressing it. In this context, some questions are raised concerning the real weight of tribes in Libya; how and why these tribes have been transformed from being traditional social organizations to becoming central political actors. Will the tribal system have a political role in Libya after Qaddafi? This paper seeks to examine the position of tribes in the social and political structures of the Libyan State and thereby endeavours to shed light on some aspects of the current Libyan war. Bibliogr., sum. [Journal abstract]