The United States Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, held a meeting this Monday in Washington with Sadam Haftar, the 'number two' of the Libyan National Army, the military formation aligned with the authorities based in the east of the country. During the meeting, the head of US diplomacy highlighted the "efforts" of both parties to "overcome divisions and move towards unity".
Rubio conveyed to Haftar, son of the Libyan marshal and considered the 'strongman' of eastern Libya, Khalifa Haftar, "his recognition for the efforts of Libyan leaders to overcome divisions and move towards unity" of the North African country, underlining Washington's support for this process.
According to Rubio's spokesperson, Tommy Pigott, both analyzed "possible avenues of cooperation to promote peace and unity" and, specifically, mechanisms to "unify the Libyan military, economic, and political institutions". In his statement, Pigott remarked that "the United States will remain at the forefront of diplomatic efforts to support Libya's unity and create the necessary conditions for a democratically elected government capable of leading Libya into the future".
The meeting between Haftar and Rubio -- who also has interviews scheduled with representatives of the Government of National Unity, based in Tripoli and recognized by the international community -- comes in a context in which the Trump Administration is reinforcing its involvement to articulate a framework that puts an end to years of political fragmentation and allows for the reconstruction of state structures after the capture and assassination of Muammar Gaddafi in October 2011.
From eastern Libya, forces loyal to Haftar have already publicly expressed their willingness to advance in talks on the proposal promoted by the United States for the administrative reunification of the country. They argue that it is a "unique" initiative, different from those proposed so far, based on "realism" and that does not shy away from the "complexities" of the current scenario.
Both parties made public just over a week ago a 'roadmap' that aims to close the prolonged transition period and unify "national" institutions, also setting a common date for the holding of presidential and parliamentary elections: February 17, 2027.