Rubio hosts Saddam Haftar as US pushes Libya unity initiative

WASHINGTON – US Secretary of State Marco Rubio discussed Washington’s initiative to resolve Libya’s long-running political crisis and reunify its armed forces with Saddam Haftar, deputy commander of eastern Libya’s military forces, during talks in Washington on Monday, as the United States intensifies efforts to reunify the country’s divided institutions.

The meeting, attended by President Donald Trump’s senior adviser for Arab and African affairs, Massad Boulos, came as Washington increases engagement with rival Libyan factions after years of largely limiting its role to supporting United Nations mediation.

According to Libya’s eastern military command, Haftar’s visit formed part of an official trip to the United States during which the two sides reviewed the latest political developments in Libya and discussed key aspects of the US initiative aimed at ending the country’s political deadlock.

They also discussed prospects for expanding bilateral cooperation “in various fields, in a manner that supports strategic partnerships and serves common interests,” the eastern command said.

The US State Department said Rubio and Haftar discussed ongoing efforts to unify Libya’s military, economic and political institutions.

“The United States will remain at the forefront of diplomatic efforts to support Libyan unity and create the conditions for a democratically-elected government able to lead Libya forward,” the department said in a statement.

Rubio later wrote on X that the United States would continue working with Libyan leaders and international partners to support “a more peaceful, unified and prosperous Libya.”

The meeting reflects what diplomats describe as a more active US role in Libya, with Washington seeking to advance parallel military and political tracks after years of stalled peace efforts.

Last week, Libya’s Deputy Defence Minister Abdulsalam al-Zoubi, representing the Tripoli-based Government of National Unity (GNU), also met senior US officials in Washington to discuss support for reunifying Libya’s military establishment and strengthening defence and security cooperation.

Military unity at centre of US initiative

For months, Libyan political circles have discussed a US initiative to break the country’s institutional deadlock.

Although Washington has not formally unveiled the proposal, Boulos confirmed its existence last week while declining to disclose details.

“The main goal is to unify the Libyans, unify the land, unify the people, and unify the institutions,” Boulos said in an interview with Saudi broadcaster Al Hadath.

He described the initiative as “designed to be inclusive, ensuring balanced representation for all stakeholders, regions and cities.”

“Decisions on the details of any unification agreement belong to the Libyans themselves, and the short-term US initiative is designed to be fully complementary to the medium- and long-term road map” of the UN Support Mission in Libya, he wrote separately on social media.

According to proposals circulating among Libyan political figures, the initiative envisages merging the Tripoli-based Government of National Unity headed by Abdulhamid Dbeibah with the eastern administration led by Osama Hammad into a single government under Dbeibah, while establishing a new Presidential Council headed by Saddam Haftar.

Washington has not confirmed those reported details.

Eastern Libya’s military command has previously declared its readiness to engage in negotiations over the US proposal, describing it as an opportunity to break years of political paralysis and pave the way for nationwide elections and the reunification of state institutions.

Long-standing challenge

Libya’s military has remained divided for years between forces commanded by Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar in the east and forces aligned with the internationally recognised Government of National Unity in western Libya.

The split has mirrored divisions across the country’s institutions and undermined successive governments’ ability to exercise authority nationwide.

Talks on reunifying the armed forces have continued under UN auspices through the Joint Military Commission (5+5), which brings together five military representatives from each side. While the commission has made progress on ceasefire arrangements and security coordination, it has yet to achieve a breakthrough on military integration.

Washington increasingly appears to view military reunification as the cornerstone of any viable political settlement.

Diplomatic activity surrounding Libya has accelerated in recent weeks.

Italian intelligence chief Giovanni Caravelli travelled to Tripoli last week to discuss the US initiative with Dbeibah, according to Italian media, while Egypt’s intelligence chief Hassan Rashad also visited Tripoli in the first such visit by a senior Egyptian official since 2021.

In Benghazi, Turkish intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin held talks with Saddam Haftar on efforts to unify Libya’s institutions and strengthen stability, while the foreign ministers of Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Turkey separately met Boulos in Cairo to discuss Libya.

The eastern authorities have also received growing backing for the initiative. More than 100 members of the eastern-based House of Representatives have endorsed the US proposal, while prominent political figure Abdul Hakim Belhaj also announced his support.

High stakes

Saddam Haftar, appointed last year as deputy commander under his father Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, has assumed an increasingly prominent military and diplomatic role and is widely regarded as a central figure in the eastern camp’s future leadership.

His growing engagement with foreign governments reflects efforts by eastern Libya to secure broader international recognition while strengthening its position in negotiations over the country’s political future.

Washington has maintained contacts with both Libya’s eastern authorities and the Government of National Unity in pursuit of incremental progress on security, energy and institutional reunification.

One of the incentives behind the renewed diplomatic push is Libya’s energy sector. Holding Africa’s largest proven oil reserves, Libya could significantly increase production if political stability is restored.

Boulos recently encouraged US energy companies to expand investment in Libya, noting that ConocoPhillips and Chevron had signed agreements this year while ExxonMobil was exploring a return.

He told the Financial Times this month that Libyan oil production could potentially double to three million barrels per day by the end of the decade.

Despite the renewed momentum, analysts caution that reunifying Libya’s armed forces remains one of the country’s most complex challenges because of competing command structures, rival armed groups and overlapping regional and international interests.

The United Nations has spent years trying to bridge divisions between Libya’s rival institutions, whose disputes have repeatedly delayed long-promised presidential and parliamentary elections.

Libyans hope elections will eventually end the cycles of political instability, armed conflict and transitional governments that have persisted since the overthrow of Muammar Gadhafi in 2011.

Washington’s latest diplomatic push suggests it believes rebuilding a unified military institution may provide the foundation for reunifying the Libyan state and finally creating conditions for those long-delayed elections.