US commander meets Haftar in push to unify Libya’s military

The head of US Africa Command (AFRICOM), Lieutenant General Dagvin Anderson, conducted separate high-level security meetings in Libya this week, engaging with both the Tripoli-based Government of National Unity (GNU) and the forces commanded by Khalifa Haftar in the east.

The diplomatic and military engagements focused on strengthening security cooperation, counterterrorism, and efforts towards military unification.

Eastern Meeting Addresses Security Threats

On Tuesday, General Anderson, accompanied by the US Embassy’s Chargé d’Affaires, Jeremy Berndt, was received by Khalifa Haftar at his headquarters in Rajma, near Benghazi.

The agenda focused on expanding existing security and military cooperation. Discussions covered:

• Coordinated counterterrorism efforts.

• Strategies for addressing extremism.

• Collaboration in combating human-trafficking networks.

Haftar’s media office confirmed the attendance of his sons, Saddam and Khalid. In addition to security matters, the officials discussed reinforcing joint training programmes for Haftar’s forces and explored possible future cooperation in economic and commercial sectors.

Tripoli Discussions Focus on Unification and Training

The visit to the eastern region followed talks held the previous day in Tripoli.

There, the AFRICOM delegation met with Prime Minister and Defence Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah, along with senior defence officials and the Chief of General Staff, Lieutenant General Mohamed Al-Haddad.

The discussions in the capital concentrated on two key institutional goals:

1. Unification: Efforts to consolidate Libya’s disparate military institutions.

2. Capacity Building: Expanding US-supported training and capacity-building programmes.

Furthermore, the Tripoli talks included detailed preparations for the upcoming Flintlock joint military exercises, which are scheduled to involve US forces in Sirte in April 2026.

The back-to-back meetings underline the US objective of maintaining communication channels with both major military actors in Libya to support a stable and unified security sector.