Libya’s rivals join forces as landmark military exercise begins

Rival Libyan forces have participated in a joint military exercise for the first time in years, signalling a cautious shift in a country long fractured by conflict.

Beginning on April 14th, the drills were held in the central city of Sirte and brought together rival factions, hinting at a potential thaw in relations without revealing how durable that progress may be, as reported by Reuters.

The exercise formed part of the “Flintlock” special operations programme led by the US Africa Command (AFRICOM).

Forces aligned with both eastern and western administrations joined the training, marking an unprecedented moment of cooperation between the Libyan National Army (LNA), based in Benghazi, and the UN-recognised Government of National Unity in Tripoli.

Libya has remained divided since 2014, when fighting erupted following the NATO-backed uprising that overthrew Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.

The conflict reached a critical phase between 2019 and 2020, when eastern commander Khalifa Haftar launched an offensive to seize the capital.

Although that campaign ultimately failed, it deepened the country’s political and military split between Tripoli and Benghazi.

In recent months, Libya’s rival authorities have shown cautious signs of cooperation; it remains to be seen if this is a pathway to a democratic Libya or a process of consolidation by those in power.

On April 8th, the rival administrations agreed on a unified national budget for the first time in over a decade, aimed at managing the country’s substantial oil revenues.

Speaking during the Sirte exercise, Saddam Haftar, the LNA’s deputy commander, said the initiative underscored Libya’s role as a dependable partner in promoting regional and international security.

According to AFRICOM, the Flintlock exercises involve participants from more than 30 countries and will extend to the Ivory Coast later in April.

Italy also played a key role in organising the Libyan component, which AFRICOM described as a “historic milestone” contributing to efforts to build a unified national military force.

Massad Boulos, the US president’s advisor on Arab and African Affairs, has emerged as a key figure behind recent international engagement in Libya, particularly in efforts tied to the Flintlock 2026 exercises.

Boulos is also actively involved in discussions with Libyan leaders from the rival eastern and western factions.

He characterised the launch of the military exercises as a significant step towards deeper coordination among the country’s security forces, emphasising that the drills mark a key moment in ongoing efforts to unify Libya’s military institutions, Libya Eye reported on April 15th.

Boulos has promoted the idea of strengthening cooperation between rival Libyan institutions, with the US announcing a power-sharing agreement between the Dbeibah and Haftar families, with no plans for elections in the equation.

This approach by the American advisor diverges from the UN political roadmap established after the 2014 civil war, with the economic integration of Libya’s rival authorities and the facilitation of international oil giants into the Libyan economy taking precedence over the pathway to national elections.

Reuters, Libya Eye, Maghrebi.org