Moutaz Wanees / Anadolu

Military leaders from eastern and western Libya agreed Sunday to organize a unified military exercise in one of the southern areas of the country.

This came during a meeting between the Chief of General Staff of the Government of National Unity, Salah al-Din al-Namroush, and the Chief of Staff of the Eastern Libya Forces, Khalifa Haftar, in the city of Sirte (central).

The meeting was attended by members of the Joint Military Committee (5+5) and the (3+3) Committee, heads of service branches, and the Deputy UN Envoy Stephanie Koury.

A statement from the General Staff in Tripoli said the meeting was held "as part of efforts to enhance the unity of the military institution and consolidate joint work among the sons of the Libyan army."

The meeting addressed a number of "priority files, where it was emphasized that the unity of the military institution represents the only option to protect the homeland, safeguard its borders, and enhance its stability."

** Results

According to the statement, it was also agreed to "organize a unified military exercise (its date not specified) with the participation of Libyan army personnel in one of the southern areas, to enhance readiness and consolidate cooperation among various units."

The meeting also discussed "mechanisms to support members of the military institution, enhance their capabilities, follow up on their administrative and financial rights, and work to address any problems that may hinder their performance."

It was also agreed to "authorize heads of service branches to hold monthly meetings with their departments, contributing to institutional performance development and enhancing coordination and joint work."

** UN Welcome

Commenting on the meeting, the UN mission in Libya welcomed in a statement "the technical military meeting held today in Sirte with the presence of the two Chiefs of General Staff and the Joint Military Committee 5+5."

The mission said the meeting "is an important step for building trust and reflects the commitment of Libyan leaders to unify the military institutions in the country."

It praised "the constructive efforts of the participants in this meeting," affirming its commitment "to continue supporting this process under Libyan leadership and ownership."

** Eastern Statement

Earlier, the Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Eastern Libya Forces, Saddam Haftar, welcomed "the convening of the national meeting in the city of Sirte with the participation of Libyan military leaders."

Saddam Haftar noted in a statement "the positive atmosphere that prevailed during the meeting and the spirit of national responsibility and sincere concern for prioritizing the supreme interest of the homeland."

The meeting, according to Saddam Haftar, came "within the context of national efforts aimed at unifying the military institution and ending the state of division with support from international partners."

The Libyan army 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.

This institution is conducting a dialogue under the auspices of the UN mission in Libya to unify, as part of the efforts of the Joint Military Committee (5+5), consisting of five military officers from each side, east and west.

This dialogue is an implementation of the ceasefire agreement signed in Geneva, Switzerland, in October 2020 between the warring Libyan parties at the time.

Recently, under UN auspices, a (3+3) committee was formed, a security and military committee consisting of three representatives from each side. It 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 all Libyan territory.

The UN mission is also leading another dialogue aimed at bringing Libya to elections to resolve a crisis of conflict between two governments: one is the Government of National Unity led by Abdul Hamid al-Dbeibeh, internationally recognized and based in Tripoli (west), which administers the entire west of the country.

The other was appointed by the House of Representatives in early 2022 and is currently headed by Osama Hammad, based in the city of Benghazi (east), which administers the entire east of the country and most southern cities.

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