Ahmed Salah Ali has written an article for the Atlantic Council outlining the nuanced position Madkhalists have in Libya’s political and military landscape, where competing loyalties have Madkhalists fighting for three different sides. While Madkhalists are not currently united under a single banner, Ali argues that their broad influence could undermine the opportunity for the establishment of an open and democratic Libya. Ali suggests:
Madkhalists also have strong connections with the major players in Libya, and they could have a substantial role and influence in Libya if the Madkhalists in Tripoli and Eastern Libya unite under one body after the current conflict ends. Doing so, though, would require that the Madkhalists work with like-minded groups. Whether or not they are willing to do so remains unclear, especially given their ideological aversion to political participation. Still, Madkhalists do not always avoid politics. For instance, after the February 11 revolution, Madkhali leaders ordered their followers not to partake in the first national elections after Qaddafi; however, compliance was not universal.
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