What next after ISIL's defeat in Sirte?
This week ISIL lost Sirte, the group’s only foothold in Libya. Apart from a few pockets, the jihadists have been completely driven out of the coastal city.
For the moment, the victory of forces backed by the pro-unity government based in Tripoli ends ISIL’s ambition of expanding its self-declared ‘‘caliphate’‘ into the North African nation.
But the group’s downfall in Libya also raises the question of what next in a country which has been plagued by violence since the ousting and death of its former strongman, Colonel Gaddafi.
Libya still remains deeply divided with governing administrations in both the east and west. A complex network of rival factions and militias also threatens a new chapter of turmoil.
Meanwhile, the instability has made the country a hub for people-trafficking and smugglers.
‘‘We’re just a business, a commodity for them, they just want to use us to enrich themselves,’‘ one migrant told Euronews.
Euronews’ Valeri Gauriat has travelled to Libya to see first hand the desperate situation facing migrants. You can watch her exclusive report in Insiders, only on Euronews.