Oil, violence and international actors: the case of Libya

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Periodical article

Title:	Oil, violence and international actors: the case of Libya
Author:	Martinez, Luis
Year:	2014
Periodical:	Canadian Journal of African Studies (ISSN 0008-3968)
Volume:	48
Issue:	2
Pages:	243-256
Language:	English
Geographic term:	Libya
Subjects:	petroleum industry military regimes rent international economic relations political conflicts
External link:	https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00083968.2014.892435
Abstract:	The survival of authoritarian regimes has for a long time been associated with the availability of rents derived from oil and gas. In particular, military oil regimes have been able to withstand the challenge of domestic opposition even at difficult times because these regimes could ultimately count on oil and gas revenues. As this article demonstrates, the Qadhafi regime had been particularly adept at surviving by using oil and gas rents. But there is a limit to what these rents can explain: in 2011, however, the regime fell after a brief civil war, in which external forces played a central role. The role played by the European and NATO interventions points to the limits of the oil and gas rents. The changed distribution of international resources amongst domestic Libyan actors contributed to the rebels' victory, indicating that international factors should be better incorporated into studies of both authoritarian survival and democratization. Bibliogr., notes, sum. [Journal abstract]