Bangladesh, Oct. 18 -- Libyas latest push toward elections faces a familiar and dangerous enemy: a political order in which armed factions can sabotage national progress while rival institutions argue over legitimacy and accountability. The countrys Aug. 30 agreement between the Government of National Unity (GNU) and the eastern-based General Command offers a potential pathway out of years of fragmentation. Yet no diplomatic document can guarantee peace when powerful networks retain the ability to attack oil facilities, disrupt electricity supplies and threaten the water infrastructure on which millions depend.

The question confronting Libya is no longer simply whether its rival political camps can negotiate. It is whether they can enfor...