Al-Senussi consultations on the Libya crisis: features of a new political dialogue or the return of the monarchy?

Al-Arabi Al-Jadeed – Osama Ali
In light of the state of political stagnation that Libya is experiencing and the state of vacuum created by the decline in the effectiveness of the UN mission’s initiative to resolve problems related to electoral laws, the son of the Crown Prince of the former monarchy in Libya, Muhammad al-Rida al-Senussi, was active in holding consultations with Libyan leaders about the political situation in the country.

The consultations launched by Al-Senussi began with his meeting, last Saturday, with a number of sheikhs, leaders and tribal notables from the eastern region to discuss developments in the political situation in the country.

Al-Senussi wrote on his account on the “X” platform, expressing his happiness at “the amount of awareness and awareness of the delicate stage the country is going through, and the keenness shown by everyone to make the efforts made to bring the country to safety through a sincere and serious national dialogue a success.”

In his second consultation, Al-Senussi met yesterday, Monday, with a number of representatives in the House of Representatives, and said that the representatives conveyed to him “their observations and the observations of the residents of the areas they represent in the structure of the national dialogue and the efforts aimed at making it successful under the umbrella of royal constitutional legitimacy,” according to a post on his account on the platform. “X.”

On the same day, Al-Senussi met with a number of women leaders, and discussed “what women represent in society and their role in contributing to peace and achieving stability,” noting that his meeting with women leaders came to “ensure the full participation of all societal activities and forces.”

Al-Senussi did not mention the location of these meetings, but parliamentary sources reported that the meetings took place in Tobruk and Al-Bayda, in the east of the country, and according to information from sources who spoke to Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, Al-Senussi is arranging other meetings with social and political actors in the south of the country during the next week.

Al-Senussi’s activity came after his recorded speech broadcast by platforms close to him on the anniversary of Libya’s independence, which fell on December 24 of last year, in which he called for taking advantage of the constitutional authority for the monarchy in Libya to restore the harmony and unity lost in the country as a result of the conflicts.

While Al-Senussi explained that the constitutional reference is the Libyan Independence Constitution of 1951, and that it is the guarantor of unifying Libyan institutions under a dialogue that represents a true Libyan will, he indicated his intention to begin consultations and talks with all parties that make up Libyan society without exceptions or conditions.

Al-Senussi stressed, in his speech, that his consultations “do not aim to restore a regime or restore a throne or quotas between a few at the expense of all, but rather to reach one common goal, which is the elevation and progress of the nation under a constitutional umbrella and institutional reference that respects the will of the people.”

Muhammad Al-Rida Al-Senussi (61 years old) is the only son of Hassan Al-Senussi, Crown Prince of King Idris Al-Senussi, the former king of Libya during the 1950s and 1960s, which ended with his overthrow in a military coup led by the late Colonel Muammar Gaddafi in 1969. Since that year, Muhammad Al-Rida has resided with his family in Britain. Where he still lives.

According to information from parliamentary sources, Al-Senussi did not discuss with the tribal sheikhs and representatives he met the details of a clear initiative, except for his emphasis on the necessity of launching a broad national dialogue that includes all actors from all Libyan sects. One source explained that Al-Senussi “was more of a listener than a speaker in his meetings, and directed… Questions about the vision for how to solve, describing reality, and listening to initiatives,” expressing his belief that Al-Senussi seeks, through his meetings, to mobilize opinions and positions for an initiative that he seems to be preparing.

The activist in the coordination of Libyan political parties and blocs, Abdul Rahman Al-Arbad, expresses his belief that Al-Senussi’s activity “will not exceed the size” of any of the initiatives that preceded him, even if he announced its details, explaining that “the resulting political vacuum is what gave his movement interest and interest, and that His movement in eastern Libya, where the Sanusi religious legacy is still respected, increased the importance of his meetings on the media level, but the reality of his movement on the level of political reality is very far away.”

Al-Irbid added in his interview with Al-Arabi Al-Jadeed, saying, “The independence constitution was not canceled by Gaddafi, but rather he froze it, but what happened after the fall of Gaddafi’s regime was the formation of a committee to draft a new constitution that had completed its work, and all that remained was the referendum on it.”

Al-Irbid points out other reasons that make Al-Senussi’s proposal far removed from the reality of the Libyan crisis, saying that “even if Al-Senussi’s activity does not aim to restore the royal throne, as he stated, his movement will not be separated in the mind from the throne and the monarchy, especially since he speaks of previous, connected constitutional legitimacy.” With the monarchy, and in short, it will add a new knot to the Libyan crisis, encouraging those calling for the return of the monarchy to reappear on the scene.”

A political movement previously emerged calling itself the “Return to Constitutional Legality Movement,” made up of supporters of the Senussi monarchy, and held several meetings, including a meeting in the city of Gharyan, in October 2017, but it did not find resonance or acceptance in Libyan circles.

On the other hand, the political affairs researcher, Issa Hamoma, believes that Western support is behind the Senussi movement, explaining that Britain, which is the oldest ally of the Senussi throne in Libya, has embraced the son of the Crown Prince over the past decades, and said that “his current movement may be a new card of cards.” The international pressure and competition taking place in the Libyan file, especially since London and Washington seem to be seeking to renew their political and diplomatic activity in Libya soon.”

Last week, the White House announced that US President Joe Biden nominated diplomat Jennifer Gavito to be Ambassador Extraordinary to Libya, and she will succeed the current US Special Representative, Richard Norland, in managing the Libyan file.

He continues his concerns by saying, “There must be many data related to the situation in the entire region. Major countries like Washington and London build their policies according to their interests in the entire region, and this new movement led by Al-Senussi may be related to the efforts of Western countries to obstruct the Russian expansion that is taking over the regions.” Eastern Libya is his base.”

What is more important, in the opinion of his concerns, is “the absolute silence on the part of Khalifa Haftar and Aguila Saleh, amid the Senussi movement actively in the areas under their control, especially Haftar, who will not accept any new political actor in his areas, which suggests the presence of Western protection for the Senussi movement.”