Rome— In a rather surprising move that could bring an end to the political impasse in Libya and facilitated the establishment of a unified political government, the Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Libyan National Army (LNA) Lieutenant General Saddam Haftar held a meeting on Tuesday with Ibrahim Dbeibeh, nephew and advisor to the head of the Government of National Unity (GNU) Abdulhamid Dbeibeh.
The meeting led to what seems to be intensive political activity in Tripoli undertaken by the GNU regarding the situation in the capital and the presence of a large number of armed groups affiliated with it, and in terms of its relations with outside allies such as the Italian government.
In another development, amid speculations in the local media about what would have been discussed in the meeting or what agreements if any were reached, the GNU Deputy Minister of Defense, Abdulsalam Zoubie, rushed to Rome on Thursday morning and held discussions with the Italian Ministers of Defense and of Interior along with the head of the Italian intelligence.
Meanwhile, PM Dbeibeh held an announced important meeting at the GNU’s General Staff headquarters, on Airport Road in Tripoli, that brought several leaders of armed groups affiliated with the city of Misrata. The meeting coincides with the surprise visit by the Mr. Zubi to Rome.
The significant of Saddam-Dbeibeh’s meeting, which was mediated and attended by the United States’ Senior Advisor for Africa Massad Boulos, comes at time in which the security situationin the Libyan capital Tripoli remains tense and fragile. The Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani played an important role in organizing the event.
According to a statement by Tripoli’s ministry of defense, the meeting focused on “ways to enhance military and security cooperation, and support and develop the military capabilities of the Libyan army.” It also covered regional and Mediterranean security issues, along with a number of issues of common interest.
“At the conclusion of the meeting, the two sides emphasized the importance of continued coordination and consultation to serve the common interests of the two countries,” the statement said.
Last Saturday, over three-million residents of Tripoli had spent the night expecting a war between the armed groups allying with the head of the GNU and Special Deterrence Force (SDF), known as Rada, would breakout any moment.
In April, Massad Boulos said that Washington was working on a new and comprehensive political initiative aimed at ending the Libyan fifteen-year crisis.
