Libya's Pan-African Policy

On 25 October 2010, CNA’s Center for Strategic Studies organized a workshop to examine Libya’s role in Sudan, the Horn of Africa, and the Sahel under Libyan leader Muammar al-Qadhafi. Panelists and workshop participants were drawn from academia, think tanks, and the U.S. government. During the workshop, the following themes emerged:

• Libya’s Africa policy has evolved over the course of the Qadhafi regime.

• In recognition of the fact that the Arab world will never accept him as a pan-Arab leader, Qadhafi has attempted to exert his influence as a pan-African leader since 2000. Qadhafi’s shift toward Africa can also be attributed in part to the fact that while many Arab leaders abandoned him during the sanctions regime, many African leaders maintained their relations with Libya.

• Having originally used political subversion as a tactic, Qadhafi has transformed Libya into a pragmatic investor in emerging African economies. This does not mean, however, that he will not use Libya’s economic interests as leverage.

• Qadhafi has also adopted the roles of an intermediary