On 26 February, French President Emmanuel Macron received Libyan National Army (LNA) Commander Khalifa Haftar at the Élysée Palace in Paris. They discussed the latest developments in Libya in the light of the new UN initiative to resolve the crisis as well as regional challenges and possibilities to enhance cooperation. Macron praised the role of the LNA in maintaining security in Libya, including in the southern region, and recognized the role of Haftar in Libya’s politics. A key topic was the Russian presence in Libya and the Russian role in the Sahel region. Another topic was bilateral military cooperation including training.
Furthermore, Macron reportedly urged Haftar to release the Nigerien opposition leader Mahmoud Sallah (also written Mahamadou Saleh) and not to hand him over to Niger’s military junta. Sallah was arrested by the LNA on 23 February in Qatrun. Allegedly, Rissa Ag Boula, a prominent Nigerien Tuareg leader based in Paris, lobbied for Sallah’s release. Reportedly, Sallah was released a few days after Haftar’s visit to Paris.