Lieutenant General Saddam Khalifa Haftar, Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Libyan National Army, met on Sunday in Benghazi with a senior delegation from the European Union to discuss border security, irregular migration, and broader regional stability. The visit reflects a growing European focus on eastern Libya at a time when migration flows and transnational criminal activity continue to shape security priorities across the Mediterranean.
Saddam Haftar received the delegation at the General Command headquarters. The group included EU Ambassador to Libya Nicola Orlando, Admiral Marco Casapieri, commander of the EU naval mission Operation IRINI, and Jan Vichettal, head of the EU Border Assistance Mission (EUBAM).
According to the General Command’s media office, the discussions centered on strengthening cooperation between the EU and the Libyan Army, with particular attention to securing borders, combating human-smuggling networks, and coordinating efforts to counter irregular migration.
Both sides reviewed current challenges along Libya’s southern and western borders, where trafficking routes used by criminal groups have expanded in recent years. EU officials expressed interest in enhancing operational coordination, ranging from technical support and equipment to intelligence-sharing and joint monitoring mechanisms aimed at disrupting the activities of migrant-smuggling and drug-trafficking networks.
The meeting follows earlier talks held between Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar and the same EU delegation, during which local and regional developments were reviewed. Field Marshal Haftar emphasized the importance of the EU’s role in supporting regional security and the stabilisation of Libya, stressing that curbing irregular migration and dismantling organized criminal groups require continuous cooperation between Libyan authorities and European partners.
