Eastern, western Libyan military commands agree on joint steps toward army’s reunification

Military officials from eastern and western Libya agreed Wednesday on practical steps to deepen coordination between their forces as efforts continue to reunify the country’s divided military.

The agreement was reached in the central city of Sirte at a meeting of the air force, navy and air defense chiefs from both sides, according to separate statements from their general staffs.

Each military branch will prepare an implementation plan covering the measures agreed at the meeting.

The plans include joint exercises and training, coordination on weapons and equipment upgrades, sharing spare parts and military supplies, and cooperation between military academies and training institutions.

The western military command said the talks were also aimed at building trust and removing obstacles to the reunification of Libya’s military.

Further meetings between military departments and branch commands are expected in the coming days.

The meeting follows talks between western Libya’s Chief of General Staff Salah al-Din al-Namroush and his eastern counterpart Khaled Haftar in Luanda on June 30 and in Sirte on July 12.

The July meeting was attended by the UN-backed Joint Military Commission (5+5), the Joint Security and Military Committee (3+3) and the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL).

Libya’s armed forces remain divided between forces affiliated with the internationally recognized Government of National Unity in the west and forces led by Khalifa Haftar in the east.

Military representatives from both sides have held UN-backed talks aimed at reunifying the armed forces under a ceasefire agreement signed in Geneva in October 2020.