A Libyan government delegation met with Nigerian Defense Minister Mohammed Badaru Abubakar on the sidelines of the high-level African meeting on counterterrorism in Abuja.
According to a statement by the Libyan Government of National Unity (GNU), the meeting aimed to enhance regional cooperation and institution-building to address the evolving terrorist threat in Africa.
The two sides discussed strengthening cooperation and information exchange in counterterrorism efforts, as well as benefiting from each country’s experience in combating terrorist groups and organizations.
The Libyan delegation included Brigadier General Mohammed Alzein, Commander of the Counterterrorism Force, Ibrahim Almehndez, Director of the Office of the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs for Political Affairs, and Chargé d’Affaires Emad Maatouk.
In turn, the Commander of the Counterterrorism Force, on behalf of the GNU Defense, extended an invitation to the Nigerian Defense Minister to visit Libya, which was warmly welcomed.
The Libyan delegation is participating in the two-day conference, highlighting Libya’s successful experience in eliminating terrorist organizations that were present within its territories.
On the other hand, MP Talal Al-Mihoub, the head of the Defense and National Security Committee in the Libyan House of Representatives, has openly rejected the decision to allocate land from the Misrata Air College for the use of AFRICOM forces.
Al-Mihoub asserted that the outgoing government led by Abdel-Hamid Dbaiba bears full responsibility for the presence of any foreign forces in Libya. He emphasized that the silence of the National Security Council’s president is both unacceptable and unreasonable.
He further noted that there is no license to facilitate the presence of foreign entities in Libya, according to statements reported by Sputnik News Agency.
This development comes amid increasing scrutiny over foreign military involvement in Libya, highlighting the complex dynamics of international relations and sovereignty within the North African nation.