Tripoli— “A closer US-Libya Defense partnership will make both our nations stronger,” said a statement issued by the US Embassy in Libya on Wednesday.
The Embassy said the US Air Force together with its “partners” from across the country “is carrying out an aerial activity in Libya today aimed at fostering east-west military integration and enhancing air defense and air traffic-control capabilities”.
The embassy did not provide details about the nature of these aerial activities or where did they take place, as Libya is a large country stretches over 2 million square kilometers.
The term “east-west” mentioned in the statement most likely refers to the eastern and western regions of Libya. The Libyan National Army (LNA) led by Field Marshal Kalifa Haftar is located eastern and southern Libya, while the “Libyan Army,” controlled by the Government of National Unity (GNU), is in the northwestern part of the country.
The aerial activity comes after eight days from a controversy occurred over Libyan sovereignty. The Libyan House of Representatives demand that foreign diplomats should abide by international norms and respect Libyan sovereignty, and called on the UN mission in Libya to adhere to its role as a facilitator without transgressing or interfering.
The Embassy said the event “represents another important step towards the goal of reunifying Libya’s military institutions and demonstrates the US commitment to unity and stability in Libya”.
In her first briefing to the UN Security Council on 19 February, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General and Head of UNSMIL Ms. Hanna Tetteh stated that since the 17 February Revolution, “the dream of a civil, democratic and prosperous Libya remains unfulfilled”. “Entrenched divisions, economic mismanagement, continued human rights violations, and competing domestic and external interests continue to erode Libya’s unity and stability,” she stressed.