US officials hold talks with eastern Libyan military leadership
(FILES) In this file photo taken on May 07, 2018 Libyan Strongman Khalifa Haftar salutes during a military parade in the eastern city of Benghazi during which he announced a military offensives to take from "terrorists" the city of Derna, the only part of eastern Libya outside his forces' control. - Forces loyal to Libyan strongman Khalifa Haftar were pushed back on April 5, 2019 from a key checkpoint less than 30 kilometres (18 miles) from Tripoli, checking their lightning advance on the capital, a security source said. (Photo by Abdullah DOMA / AFP)
Senior US officials held talks with Libya’s eastern military leadership as Washington continued outreach to Libyan political and economic actors amid efforts to support stability and institutional reunification, according to The Arab Weekly and agencies on January 26th.
Major General Saddam Haftar, deputy commander of the Libyan National Army, received Senior Adviser to US President Donald Trump, Massad Boulos, and the US chargé d’affaires to Libya, Jeremy Brent, at the General Command headquarters in Benghazi.
The meeting focused on political developments in Libya, regional and international issues, and ways to strengthen bilateral cooperation, according to a statement from the Libyan army’s media office.
The talks also addressed international initiatives to support long-term stability in Libya, which remains divided between rival administrations in Tripoli and the east.
Boulos arrived in Benghazi on January 25th after travelling from Tripoli, where he attended the fifth Libya Energy and Economic Summit. Several memoranda of understanding and energy-related agreements were signed at the event between US companies and Libya’s National Oil Corporation.
Speaking at the summit, Boulos announced what he described as an unprecedented expansion of cooperation between ConocoPhillips and the NOC. He said American firms were committed to supporting Libya’s goal of raising oil production to three million barrels per day, while providing advanced technology and specialised expertise to the sector.
The Benghazi meetings form part of a broader US engagement strategy that includes dialogue with multiple Libyan stakeholders to reconcile competing interests and advance the political process. The diplomatic outreach coincides with preparations for the Flintlock 2026 military exercises, which Libya is expected to host.
In parallel, Boulos also met in Tripoli with Hanna Tetteh, the UN secretary-general’s special representative for Libya and head of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya. Their meeting focused on economic and political developments and on the implementation of the roadmap presented to the UN Security Council on August 21st, 2025.
UNSMIL said the talks highlighted ongoing UN-facilitated dialogue aimed at overcoming political divisions, restoring national unity and preparing the ground for national elections. Both officials stressed the need for Libyan political actors to move beyond declarations and take concrete steps to implement the agreed roadmap.
The latest engagements reflect a coordinated US and UN approach that combines support for economic cooperation, particularly in the energy sector, with efforts to promote political reconciliation and institutional unification in Libya
Arab Weekly and agencies, Maghrebi.org
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