From 30 June to 2 July, at the invitation of U.S. AFRICOM and the Ministry of Defense of Angola, Libyan Army Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Salaheddin al-Namroush and Libyan National Army (LNA) Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Khaled Haftar participated in the annual African Chiefs of Defense Conference (ACHOD), which took place in Luanda, Angola.
U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and U.S. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine provided remarks virtually from Washington, D.C.
Discussions during the Conference centred on securing the global commons, operating in the information domain, the role of innovation and economic development in promoting stability, and on strategies to combat the rapid spread of violent extremism and transnational crime. Four expert panels addressed the multifaceted challenges and opportunities facing the African continent.
Moreover, the conference introduced an industry roundtable designed to gather feedback from private industry ‘regarding the roadblocks to operating in Africa’ and allow for professional exchanges among senior leaders to identify potential solutions to complex business challenges.
Both al-Namroush and Khaled Haftar used the opportunity of their presence at the conference for a number of side meetings with other Chiefs of Staff.
Al-Namroush met with the Inspector General of the Moroccan Armed Forces, Lieutenant General Mohamed Berrid, who is also Commander of Morocco’s Southern Military Zone. They discussed bilateral military cooperation, focusing on developing military training areas and exchanging military experiences.
Khaled Haftar also met with the Inspector General of the Moroccan Armed Forces.
Both were received separately by General Altino Carlos José dos Santos, Armed Forces Chief of General Staff of the host nation Angola to discuss ways to enhance military cooperation, particularly in the areas of training.
Al-Namroush and Khaled Haftar were received together by the commander of AFRICOM, General Dagvin Anderson. The main topic was concrete steps towards the unification of Libya’s armed forces. Moreover, al-Namroush praised the prominent role of the United States and AFRICOM in supporting counterterrorism efforts and promoting the unification of the Libyan military. Khaled Haftar also emphasized the importance of the U.S. role and of continuing efforts to unify the military institutions.
On 3 July, media reported about preparations for a meeting between al-Namroush and Khaled Haftar in Sirte this week.