4 March – 10 March: French President Macron meets with head of LNA Haftar

Mar 11, 2020 | International actors

On 9 March, the head of the Libyan National Army (LNA), Khalifa Haftar, travelled to France and met with French President Emmanuel Macron. According to a French official, Haftar claimed he would sign the draft ceasefire agreement produced by the 5+5 military dialogue track and maintain it if the armed groups aligned with the Government of National Accord (GNA) respected it. The official claimed Macron had discussed efforts to lift the oil blockades in Libya. However, Haftar reportedly claimed the issue did not involve him.

The French official stated that Macron is not planning to speak or meet with GNA head, Fayez al-Serraj, who is currently in the UK. However, the GNA’s Minister of Interior, Fathi Bashaagha, is set to meet Macron later this week. Haftar reportedly met with French Foreign Minister, Jean-Yves Le Drain, on the sidelines of the Paris meeting with Macron.  It has also been reported that Haftar will be travelling to Berlin on 10 March to meet with German officials.

On 4 March, a high level international diplomatic delegation featuring representatives from France, Italy, and Germany met Haftar at his headquarters in Rajma to discuss the “latest political and military developments,” according to the LNA’s General Command Media Office.