Muataz Wanis / Anadolu

Military leaders from eastern and western Libya held a meeting Sunday in the city of Sirte (450 km east of Tripoli) aimed at unifying the divided Libyan army.

This came according to a statement by Deputy General Commander of eastern Libyan forces Saddam Haftar.

Saddam Haftar said: 'We welcome the convening of the national meeting in Sirte, the city of national unity, with the participation of Libyan military leaders.'

The statement indicated that the delegation of eastern forces is headed by its Chief of Staff Khalid Haftar, along with its Secretary-General Khairi al-Tamimi, while the western region delegation is headed by Chief of Staff Salah al-Din al-Namroush.

It noted 'the presence of members of the Joint Military Commission (5+5) and the (3+3) Committee, with the participation of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya.'

Saddam Haftar welcomed 'the positive atmosphere that prevailed in this meeting.'

The meeting, according to the statement, comes 'in the context of national efforts aimed at unifying the military institution and ending the state of division, with the support of international partners.'

In this context, Saddam Haftar highlighted 'the efforts made by the United States of America, including the U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM), alongside the United Nations Support Mission in Libya, in supporting the endeavors aimed at building a unified and professional Libyan military institution, thereby enhancing Libya's security and stability and preserving its sovereignty and territorial integrity.'

Saddam Haftar affirmed that 'unifying the military institution on national and professional foundations represents a fundamental goal to protect the homeland and safeguard its sovereignty.'

He said: 'We will continue to work with all seriousness and responsibility to build strong and effective institutions, protect Libya's territory and borders, consolidate national unity, and achieve a unified Libyan army capable of performing its duties in defending the nation and the citizen.'

The statement did not clarify the outcomes of the meeting or the results reached.

The army in Libya is divided into two parts: one in the east of the country led by Khalifa Haftar, and the other in the west affiliated with the Government of National Unity.

The military institution is conducting a dialogue under the auspices of the UN Mission in Libya aiming to unify it, as part of the efforts of the Joint Military Commission (5+5), consisting of five military officers from each side.

This dialogue comes in implementation of the ceasefire agreement signed in Geneva, Switzerland, in October 2020 between the then-warring Libyan conflict parties.

Recently, under security sponsorship, a (3+3) Committee was formed, which is a security and military committee consisting of three representatives from each side, and is the first joint committee for unified security and military work between the two sides, tasked with developing plans to combat terrorism and organized crime and secure borders across the entire Libyan territory.

The UN mission also leads another dialogue aimed at bringing Libya to elections to resolve the conflict between two governments: one is the Government of National Unity headed by Abdul Hamid Dbeibah, based in Tripoli in the west of the country, from which it administers the entire west of Libya.

The other was appointed by the House of Representatives in early 2022, headed by Osama Hammad, based in Benghazi in the east of the country, from which it administers the entire east of Libya and most southern cities.

Libyans hope that the long-awaited elections will put an end to political and armed conflicts, ending the successive transitional periods since the overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi's regime (1969-2011).