Libya’s rival military chiefs meet to discuss reunification of armed forces

Top military leaders from Libya’s rival armies met in Sirte on Sunday to discuss ongoing efforts to reunify the military.

Eastern forces Chief of Staff Khaled Haftar and his western counterpart Salah al-Din al-Namroush met alongside representatives of the UN Support Mission in Libya.

Without providing details, a statement issued by the eastern forces said the meeting was “constructive.”

The north African country plunged into chaos after the ouster of longtime leader Moammar Gadhafi in 2011.

It’s since been run by two governments: Abdulhamid Dbeibah’s internationally recognised Government of National ‌Unity in the west, and Khalifa Haftar’s rival Government of National Stability in the east.

Talks to reunify the country reportedly began late last year, when both Libyan sides asked Pakistan to mediate. The US, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkey are all said to support the process.

A proposed reunification plan would create a 36-month transitional power-sharing setup, with Dbeibah as prime minister and Haftar’s son Saddam leading a presidential council.

The plan also gives Haftar’s faction budget authority due to its control of the country’s major oilfields and infrastructure.