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Forces of the Government of National Unity and leaders of the Libyan Army agreed to organize unified military training and maneuvers in the south of the country, a step seen as a new and appropriate opportunity to break the division and unify the military institution.

The agreement came during an unprecedented meeting held on Sunday in the city of Sirte, central Libya, bringing together Lieutenant General Khalid Haftar, Chief of the General Staff of the Libyan Army, and Lieutenant General Salah al-Namroush, Chief of Staff of the Government of National Unity forces, with the participation of a number of military leaders from the east and west of the country.

The two sides also agreed to execute a unified tactical exercise with the participation of Libyan Army personnel in one of the southern regions, and they agreed to enhance discussion on mechanisms to support military personnel and hold monthly meetings with their administrations to strengthen coordination and improve institutional performance.

"Important step"

The Presidential Council welcomed this meeting in a statement, in a statement, considering it an "important step towards strengthening military dialogue, advancing the path to unifying the Libyan military institution, consolidating security and stability, and preparing conditions to achieve national entitlements, serving Libya's unity and sovereignty."

For his part, Saddam Haftar, Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Libyan Army, welcomed the meeting, stressing that it comes "in the context of national efforts aimed at unifying the military institution and ending the state of division, with support from international partners."

For months, Libya has witnessed American diplomatic and military movements aimed at unifying Libya's military, security, and economic institutions, according to an initiative sponsored by Massad Boulos, advisor to U.S. President Donald Trump.

Today's meeting in Sirte is an extension of a path that began last April, when the Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Army, Saddam Haftar, met with the Minister of Defense of the Government of National Unity, Abdul Salam al-Zoubi, within the framework of the "Flintlock 2026" maneuvers conducted by the U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) in Sirte, in the first direct meeting between prominent military officials from both sides after years of division and conflict.

There are hopes that this rapprochement will lead to gradual progress in the file of unifying the Libyan army, which is one of the most prominent challenges to achieving stability and ending the political and institutional division in Libya.

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