A senior State Department official said that Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, the Libyan commander-in-chief of the Libyan Armed Forces, has an important role in shaping Libya’s political future.
He also pointed out to the US’s efforts to support an immediate end to Libya’s ongoing conflict and minimize toxic foreign interference, with the goal of fostering a stable, unified, and democratic Libyan state that can partner with the U.S. to defeat terrorism and stabilize energy production.
The US official praised the great efforts exerted by the United Nations Special Representative Ghassan Salame to reach a cessation of hostilities and a comprehensive political settlement.
He also added that the UN mission is also focusing on an internal track with a series of intra-Libyan dialogues, which seek to address difficult issues, including the role played by militia groups throughout the country, the reunification of Libya’s economic institutions, and disagreement about which political groups should be represented in a future Libyan government.