Meloni in Benghazi for the meeting with General Haftar

The Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, landed today in Benghazi, the capital of the eastern Libyan region of Cyrenaica, where a meeting with the general is scheduled Khalifa Haftar, commander-in-chief of the self-proclaimed Libyan National Army (LNA). With the 80-year-old Libyan “field marshal” (the highest military rank, equivalent to a five-star general), Meloni should talk about the importance of advancing the political process, preserving the unity of Libyan institutions, and of working to end to the presence of foreign forces on Libyan soil. Italy, Italian sources explain, is keen to be present throughout Libya and to work with all the different Libyan actors: a commitment that is not new and which also sees the presence of the consulate general in Benghazi, reopened in 2021 (the first to be reopened after the ceasefire of October 2020). Moreover, General Haftar had already met Meloni at Palazzo Chigi on 3 May 2023. With Haftar, who in April 2019 attempted to conquer Tripoli by force, causing a civil conflict that ended with the ceasefire in October of 2020, Meloni will also discuss the reconstruction of Derna, hit in September 2023 by a devastating flood, recalling Italy’s immediate commitment, through the Armed Forces, Civil Protection and humanitarian aid, and underlining how the Italian business world can offer valuable skills for the reconstruction activity.

Last April 22, the Italian ambassador to Libya, Gianluca Alberini, accompanied by the consul general in BenghaziFrancesco Saverio De Luigi, he had taken stock of the reconstruction efforts in the areas affected by Cyclone Daniel with the director of the Reconstruction Fund, Belgassem Haftar, one of the sons of the Libyan general. The meeting took place in Derna, a city in north-eastern Libya seriously damaged by floods following the passage of sub-tropical storm Daniel. According to the Facebook page of the Reconstruction Fund, General Haftar’s son had “praised the leading role of the Italian Republic during Hurricane Daniel, through its significant contribution in support of rescue operations and assistance to the victims of the disaster”. During the conversation between the Italian delegation and Belgassem, continues the note released by the Libyan Fund, the “role of Italian companies and skills specialized in the reconstruction and maintenance sectors, for example, but not only, the maintenance of the Wadi al Kuf bridge and the restoration of archaeological buildings in the cities of Sousse, Shahat and other areas affected by the Fund’s strategy”. Space was also given to the possible “partnership with the Italian side in the sectors of training of medical, technical and consultancy personnel and in other human capital development strategies that the Development and Reconstruction Fund seeks to implement according to the established plan ”. The implementation of the Treaty of Friendship, Partnership and Cooperation between Italy and Libya signed in Benghazi on 30 August 2008 was also discussed, in particular with regard to the construction of the so-called highway of peace, aimed at connecting eastern and western Libya, from the Musaid crossing with Egypt to the Ras Jedir crossing with Tunisia, a project defined as being of “strategic interest for citizens”.

On 24 April, Ambassador Alberini and Consul De Luigi were received for the first time by General Haftar in person. According to a note from the general command of the ENL, the Libyan political and military leader had welcomed the Italian delegation “expressing applause for this visit” and underlining “the development of good neighborly relations that characterize Libya and Italy”. The parties, the press release continued, had “discussed the strengthening of bilateral cooperation in the economic, commercial and cultural fields, as well as the contribution of Italian companies specialized in the field of reconstruction underway in various Libyan cities and regions”. Furthermore, there was also talk of “the importance of coordination and joint cooperation to reduce the phenomenon of illegal immigration and the concrete measures to be adopted in this regard”.

On May 4, the commander in chief of the Libyan National Army received the Italian diplomat Nicola Orlando, ambassador of the European Union in Libya, together with his delegation at the headquarters in Ar Rajma, near Benghazi. During the meeting, according to a note released by ENL, the latest national and regional developments were discussed. “The ambassador praised the role of the Armed Forces in promoting security and stability, as well as their significant contribution to reducing illegal immigration,” the statement said. Haftar, for his part, had underlined “the importance of the European Union’s support for the political process, including support for presidential and parliamentary elections, to achieve lasting stability” in Libya. The Italian diplomat, who previously served as Italy’s special envoy to Libya and number two at the embassy in Tripoli, was appointed head of the EU delegation to Libya in April 2023.

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