The military meeting held in Sirte has injected new momentum into efforts to unify Libya’s armed forces, bringing together the chiefs of staff from eastern and western Libya for their first meeting inside the country after a series of discussions held abroad. The gathering is widely viewed as another important confidence-building step in one of Libya’s most advanced dialogue tracks.
The meeting was attended by Lieutenant General Khaled Haftar, Chief of Staff of the Libyan National Army, and Lieutenant General Salah Al-Din Al-Namroush, Chief of Staff affiliated with the Government of National Unity, alongside members of the Joint Military Commission (5+5) and representatives of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL).
Participants agreed to organize joint military exercises in southern Libya, marking the first practical initiative requiring direct operational cooperation between military units from both sides. They also committed to holding regular coordination meetings and strengthening institutional mechanisms designed to improve communication, cooperation, and field coordination.
According to a statement issued by the General Staff in Tripoli, the meeting focused on priority security issues. It reaffirmed that unifying Libya’s military remains the only sustainable path toward protecting the country’s sovereignty, securing its borders, and reinforcing national stability.
Sirte was chosen because it hosts the headquarters of the Joint Military Commission (5+5), established following the October 2020 ceasefire agreement under the Berlin Process. Since then, the commission has become the primary channel for military dialogue between eastern and western Libya and is widely regarded as one of the country’s most successful confidence-building mechanisms.
Analysts say the planned joint exercises in southern Libya carry strategic significance beyond military cooperation. The region faces persistent challenges from cross-border crime, terrorism, human trafficking, irregular migration, and smuggling networks. Greater coordination between military forces could strengthen border security and improve the protection of critical infrastructure.
The renewed military dialogue also comes amid increased US diplomatic engagement in Libya, including efforts to encourage the unification of the country’s military, security, and political institutions. While observers caution that the Sirte meeting alone will not resolve Libya’s broader political divisions, many believe it represents meaningful progress.
