Rubio meets eastern Libyan commander amid US unity push
The talks with Saddam Haftar come as Washington seeks a deal between Libya’s rival eastern and western authorities.
By James Whitfield · Staff Writer
3 min read
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met Saddam Haftar, a senior commander from eastern Libya’s self-styled Libyan National Army, as Washington presses rival Libyan authorities to reach a political settlement. The meeting matters because the United States is trying to bring together competing governments that have split the country for years.
The US State Department said Rubio and Haftar discussed Libyan-led efforts to bring the country’s military, economic and political institutions under unified authority. It also said they reviewed possible cooperation aimed at advancing peace and unity in Libya.
According to the State Department, Rubio thanked Libyan leaders for efforts to bridge the country’s divisions. The department said the United States would stay engaged in diplomacy to support Libyan unity and help create conditions for a democratically elected government.
Washington steps up Libya diplomacy
Al Jazeera reported that the meeting comes during a broader US push to address Libya’s political crisis. In April, the United States helped broker an agreement on unified spending between the two rival governments, including funds for public sector wages and the National Oil Corporation.
The US has also been seeking military cooperation between forces linked to authorities in eastern and western Libya, according to Al Jazeera. Last year, forces loyal to both sides joined US military drills in Sirte, a coastal city in central Libya.
Libya has been divided since the years after the NATO-backed uprising that removed longtime ruler Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. Al Jazeera reported that the current split dates to 2014, when a newly elected House of Representatives moved east after armed groups took control of Tripoli.
A top court in Tripoli later ruled the House of Representatives invalid, according to Al Jazeera. The body stayed in place and backed an eastern government supported by the LNA, which was formed by Khalifa Haftar, Saddam Haftar’s father.
Khalifa Haftar, a former senior officer under Gaddafi who defected and moved to the United States in 1990 after being captured by Chadian forces, has been eastern Libya’s de facto ruler since the LNA consolidated control there after 2016, Al Jazeera reported.
Rival authorities remain divided
The LNA tried to seize Tripoli in 2019, reaching the capital before forces aligned with the internationally recognized government pushed it back, according to Al Jazeera. A ceasefire followed in 2020, but Libya remained split between rival governments, with clashes continuing to erupt.
Saddam Haftar, described by Al Jazeera as the likely successor to lead the LNA, has held meetings with senior officials abroad in recent weeks. Those meetings included talks with Egypt’s defence minister and French President Emmanuel Macron.
Al Jazeera reported that the administration of US President Donald Trump has expanded diplomatic efforts in Libya, with White House adviser Massad Boulos leading an initiative to unify the two competing governments. Boulos told Al Hadath TV on Friday that Libyan parties would be invited to Washington, DC, to sign a final agreement in Trump’s presence if a deal is reached.
In a social media post cited by Al Jazeera, Boulos said the United States would continue backing Libyans after 15 years of war and division.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.