On Saturday, the United States (US) commended the efforts of Libyan military leaders toward building a unified military capable of protecting the Libyan people and defending the country’s sovereignty.
“The US Embassy’s Defence Attachés and Libyan military leaders met this week in Tripoli to underscore our shared commitment to promote stability and regional security,” the Embassy said in a tweet.
On Tuesday, the Libyan Chief of the General Staff of the Interim Government of National Unity (GNU), Lieutenant General Muhammad al-Haddad, held talks with a US military delegation in Tripoli.
The meeting touched on ways aimed at enhancing relations between the Libyan and US armies.
It also stated that Al-Hadad “praised the role played by the AFRICOM forces.”
Notably, the US Embassy renewed the US commitment to support the Libyan people’s democratic aspirations. It added that this commitment stems from the US’s experience resisting foreign interference.
“Since our nation’s founding, we have been guided by the principles enshrined in the Preamble of the US Constitution which states: We the People of the US, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the US,” it added.
On Thursday, US Envoy to Libya, Ambassador Richard Norland, held talks with Mohamed A. Ib Almadani, Libya’s Ambassador to Chad, and US Ambassador to Chad, Alex Laskaris. This was to discuss “regional cooperation on Libya’s border security and economic development,” according to a statement by the US Embassy in Libya.
“I look forward to my consultations today and tomorrow with Chadian officials,” the Embassy quoted Norland via Twitter.
In light of the ongoing conflict in Sudan, Norland has been meeting with multiple African officials recently in an effort to curb the spread of violence into Libya.
On the 27th of April, he held talks with Congolese President, Sassou N’Guesso and the Foreign Minister, Jean-Claude Gakosso.
“We agreed on the urgency of stabilising Libya, restoring its sovereignty, and securing its borders considering growing threats to regional security,” Norland said at the time of the visit.
The recent outbreak of conflict in Sudan will have a negative effect on the situation in neighboring Libya, particularly in the southern areas of the country, according to the Economist Intelligence website.
The fighting between Sudan’s military and paramilitary leadership threatens to derail plans to repatriate Sudanese mercenaries from Libya. Persistent political uncertainty in Libya, coupled with Sudan’s deepening conflict, is also likely to delay Libya’s political transition and exacerbate security risks.