From 27 February to 2 March, the Government of National Unity (GNU) Army Chief of Staff, Muhammed al-Haddad, and the Libyan National Army (LNA) Chief of Staff, Abdurrazaq al-Nadhouri, participated in the 2023 African Chiefs of Defense Conference which was organised by the US Africa Command (AFRICOM) and held in the Italian capital, Rome. Haddad and Nadhouri jointly held bilateral meetings on the sidelines the Italian Chief of Staff of Defense, the Chief of Staff of the Egyptian Armed Forces, and the commander of AFRICOM, General Michel Langley. They attempted to assure Langley of progress towards unifying the Libyan military establishment, with the formation of a joint force as a first step to protect the borders. For his part, Langley stressed that the US stands with the Libyan people in their calls for peace, national unity and full sovereignty. On 2 March, the US Embassy in Libya welcomed the meeting among Haddad, Nadhouri and Langley, commending their commitment to reunifying the Libyan military and supporting the establishment of a joint unit as a first step.
