The Senussi, as Mr Halem explains, are crucial to the creation of the Libyan state and inextricable from any understanding of Libyan national identity. Moreover, per Mr Halem’s compelling analysis, the Senussi under Idris, Libya’s first and only king, provided Libya with a reasonable political foundation. If Mussolini had not come to power, a multi-ethnic, multi-religious Libyan state may have emerged in the 1920s. Indeed, this was the explicit objective King Idris, and his designated heir, Crown Prince Hassan, had for Libya’s future. The Senussi must therefore be considered in any durable, legitimate peace settlement: after all, Libya’s Senussi constitution actually provides a way forward for the country.

Source: Libya Today September 12, 2022 00:07 UTC