A bipartisan U.S. congressional delegation visits Benghazi as the Libyan National Army says Washington supports new initiatives to advance the country’s long-stalled military unification
Soldecanarias.net / Adeje
Saddam Haftar, deputy commander-in-chief of the Libyan National Army (LNA), hosted a bipartisan delegation of members of the U.S. Congress in Benghazi on Wednesday for talks focused on defence cooperation and efforts to advance the unification of Libya’s armed forces, according to a statement issued by the eastern-based military command.
The delegation was led by Republican Congressman Austin Scott and included Democratic Representatives Jimmy Panetta and Salud Carbajal. Also attending the meeting was Jeremy Berndt, the senior adviser for Libyan political affairs and Chargé d’Affaires at the U.S. Embassy to Libya.
According to the LNA statement, the two sides discussed ways to strengthen bilateral coordination and examined measures to support the reunification of Libya’s military establishment, one of the country’s most significant unresolved challenges since its fragmentation following the overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.
During the meeting, Saddam Haftar said the visit represented «a new step» reflecting Washington’s continued support for the process of unifying Libya’s armed forces. U.S. authorities have not yet released an official account of the discussions or confirmed the agreements announced by the Libyan side.
The statement highlights the existing cooperation between the United States, U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM), and military leadership in both eastern and western Libya. According to the LNA, that partnership enabled the city of Sirte to host part of the Flintlock 2026 multinational military exercise and demonstrated a willingness among Libyan officers from both sides of the country’s divide to work together despite the continuing political and institutional split.
Building on that cooperation, the military command said both sides agreed that Libya would host the main phase of Flintlock 2027, an announcement that, if officially confirmed by Washington, would represent a significant step in the normalization of military cooperation with the authorities controlling eastern Libya.
The statement also announced the launch of work to establish a joint military operations room in Sirte bringing together personnel from military forces in both eastern and western Libya. The initiative is presented as a mechanism to improve coordination between the rival military structures and facilitate their gradual integration.
Saddam Haftar also reaffirmed the General Command’s commitment to establishing a unified Libyan Air Command in cooperation with its counterparts in western Libya. Among the measures announced was the creation of a National Centre of Excellence for Air Force training at the Air Academy in Misrata, one of western Libya’s principal military facilities.
According to the statement, these initiatives form part of a U.S.-backed roadmap to build a unified and professional Libyan military capable of overcoming the divisions that have shaped the country’s political and security landscape for more than a decade.
The congressional delegation’s visit comes as Washington seeks to deepen its engagement in Libya, where competition among external actorsincluding Russia, Turkey and several European countries continues to shape the country’s political and security balance. The proposed creation of joint military structures linking rival forces would represent one of the most significant developments since the 2020 ceasefire agreement, although its implementation will ultimately depend on political will among Libya’s competing factions and sustained international support.
