Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, commander of the Libyan National Army (LNA), met with General Hassan Rashad, head of Egypt’s General Intelligence, in Benghazi on Sunday, August 24.
The two leaders discussed security and intelligence cooperation, according to a statement from the LNA General Command.
The meeting, held at the LNA’s general headquarters, focused on ways to strengthen coordination “in areas of common interest to enhance stability and serve the supreme interests of both nations.” General Rashad’s visit also served as an opportunity to congratulate Haftar’s sons, Lieutenant General Saddam Haftar and Khaled Haftar, on their recent promotions within the LNA. This gesture confirms Cairo’s support for the new military leadership in eastern Libya.
The meeting comes at a crucial time for Libya, as the UN is attempting to restart the electoral process with a proposed 12-to-18-month roadmap. Egypt, a key regional player, continues to demonstrate its close ties to eastern Libyan forces and its support for a “Libyan-Libyan” solution to the ongoing political crisis.
This is not the first time the two have met; in December 2024, Haftar and Rashad discussed the Libyan political crisis, underscoring the “depth of the historical relations between the Egyptian and Libyan peoples.” Rashad’s visit to Benghazi reinforces this continued close cooperation amid a regional climate of uncertainty and rivalries over Libya’s future.
MK/Sf/fss/abj/APA