There are signs of hope that Libya can be stitched back together after years of war. Military leaders from the Tripoli-based Government of National Unity (GNU) and the Benghazi-based House of Representatives have agreed to meet and do more to create a unified military structure.
AFRICOM Deputy Commander Lt. Gen. John Brennan and U.S. Chargé d’Affaires to Libya Jeremy Berndt, were part of the delegation that traveled to Tripoli, Sirte and Benghazi to meet with civilian and military leaders.
“A stronger and more unified Libya is better for the people of Libya and for regional security,” Brennan said in a statement. “We look forward to building on existing defense activities and investments that move toward our shared goals of a safe, secure, and prosperous Libya.”
GNU authorities issued a statement in early February pledging to focus on “regional challenges related to combating terrorism and organized crime, and mechanisms for coordinating joint efforts to confront security threats facing the region.”
Nearly 14 years after the fall of Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi, Libya remains divided politically and geographically. The country experienced two civil wars and multiple broken ceasefires before reaching the current period of relative peace. The opposing sides have yet to agree on details such as holding national elections.
“Libyans are still waiting to realize their aspirations for sustainable peace and democracy,” Abdoulaye Bathily, special representative for Libya and head of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), told the U.N. Security Council recently.
The current ceasefire agreement calls for mercenaries and foreign fighters to leave Libya. In January 2024, Chadian mercenaries and foreign fighters returned to Chad. However, some state-sponsored mercenaries and private military companies (PMC) continue to operate from bases throughout the country.
In Tripoli, rivalries between security actors to achieve territorial control over strategic areas of the capital continue to threaten its fragile security.
Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh of the internationally recognized GNU supported continuing military cooperation with the United States and calling on international expertise to develop Libya’s military in a way that strengthens its ability to maintain security and stability.
U.S. officials emphasized that unifying Libya’s divided military institutions is crucial to restoring stability in the country, which has become a conduit for foreign mercenaries and illicit trafficking networks.
As part of their mission to promote peace and stability in Libya, the delegation also met with members of Libya’s 5+5 Joint Military Commission (JMC) and with Lt. Gen. Saddam Haftar, son of Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, leader of the LNA.
The discussions with the JMC and Haftar explored training and technical assistance options to enhance cooperation among Libyan security forces throughout the country.
U.S. authorities said in a statement that the meetings helped define the ways the U.S. can work with Libyan authorities to reunite the country’s fractured military and become a bulwark against regional violence and instability.
“We thank our partners in the east and west for receiving us and continuing to engage with us on their important efforts to reunify the Libyan military,” Berndt said. “A strong and unified Libyan military will help Libya safeguard its sovereignty in the face of malign actors and regional instability.”
