Libya is discussing participation in one of Africa’s largest U.S.-led military exercises, as talks advance over the country’s potential role in hosting part of the upcoming Flintlock 2026 drills organized by the United States Africa Command.
The issue was discussed during talks between U.S. adviser for Middle East and Africa affairs Massad Boulos and Saddam Haftar, Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Libyan National Army. According to Boulos, discussions focused on Libya’s role in hosting part of the Flintlock 2026 exercise in the city of Sirte.
Boulos described the talks as positive and emphasized Libya’s strategic importance as a potential host for the annual multinational exercise. Flintlock is AFRICOM’s largest special operations training exercise in Africa and has been held annually since 2005. The drills are designed to improve counterterrorism coordination, strengthen border security, enhance special forces capabilities, and deepen military cooperation between African and international partners.
The planned participation of Libya carries added significance because military representatives from both eastern and western Libya are expected to be involved in the exercise. Observers see this as a possible confidence-building measure that could contribute to efforts aimed at unifying Libya’s divided military institutions.
AFRICOM officials have previously indicated that military figures from both sides of Libya’s internal divide have taken part in joint preparations for the exercise, reflecting a rare area of practical coordination between rival security establishments.
In parallel, discussions reportedly touched on broader national issues, including efforts to unify Libya’s public budget, a process that remains stalled amid the continued existence of separate spending systems in eastern and western Libya.
