Movements and Mobility in Libya’s Militarized Daily Life

When the Soumoud Convoy to Gaza was stopped outside the Libyan city of Sirte in June 2025, it offered a particularly visible example of what the division of Libya has looked like for ordinary people since 2014. The territorial bifurcation of the Libyan state has forced people to move, while also limiting their options for work and even their ability to form relationships and families. In many such ways, the militarization that Libya has undergone since 2011—a process deeply entangled in global contests for power and money—has encroached into everyone’s everyday life.