US-mediated talks lead to unified financial agreement in Libya

Africa Intelligence has reported that the administration of US President Donald Trump has adopted a policy of direct engagement with Libya’s rival authorities in Tripoli and Benghazi, effectively sidelining the role of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL).

According to the report, American mediation culminated on 18 November in the signing of the Unified Development Programme Agreement, a deal designed to harmonise financial procedures, re-establish a single framework for public spending, and ensure a more balanced distribution of oil revenues between eastern and western Libya. The agreement also aims to halt the printing and issuance of currency without the approval of the Central Bank of Libya, following years in which a parallel eastern-based institution operated under the influence of Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar and previously benefited from Russian backing.

The report notes that the process was supported by a comprehensive financial review overseen by the US consultancy K2 Integrity, which examined foreign-currency transfers and import operations. It further states that Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah has engaged the Washington-based lobbying firm Mercury Public Affairs as part of broader efforts to maintain political support in the United States, at a time when the UN Security Council continues to push for progress on unifying Libya’s divided institutions.

Meanwhile, the unrecognised eastern administration led by Osama Hamad has ended its cooperation with UNSMIL, protesting against what it claims was Qatari funding for the political dialogue track. According to Africa Intelligence, the move underscores a broader shift in Libya’s diplomatic landscape, where US influence appears to be expanding while the UN’s role shows signs of diminishing.