U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio held a significant meeting on Monday with Saddam Haftar, the deputy commander of eastern Libya’s armed forces, centered on bridging the country’s deep-rooted institutional divisions and enhancing both political and security cooperation.
According to State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott, Rubio and Haftar delved into ongoing Libyan-led initiatives aimed at the unification of the nation’s military, economic, and political sectors.
Rubio commended the efforts of local leaders who are navigating current divisions to work toward a comprehensive national accord.
The discussions in Washington, D.C., were geared towards establishing circumstances conducive to the emergence of a democratically elected government, Pigott noted.
“They explored potential paths for collaboration to promote unity and peace in Libya,” he added.
The U.S. has expressed its commitment to taking a lead role in diplomatic endeavors supporting Libyan cohesion, according to the spokesperson.
These talks come on the heels of reports indicating that the State Department plans to host representatives from Libya’s eastern and western factions in Washington later this month.
Libya remains split between two rival governments: one under Abdul Hamid Dbeibah in Tripoli, overseeing the west, and another instated by the House of Representatives in early 2022, led by Osama Hammad, based in Benghazi, which governs the east and much of the south.
Efforts led by the United Nations to conduct national elections have stalled, aggravating the oil-rich nation’s longstanding conflict and instability.
