“On 27 October, Libyan media reported that during their meeting in Ankara last week, Government of National Unity (GNU) Deputy Minister of Defense Abdussalam Zoubi and Libyan National Army (LNA) Deputy Commander Saddam Haftar agreed to a preliminary document on the organizational structure and operational procedures of the future joint army.
The preliminary agreement reportedly establishes four regional military chiefs of staff for the eastern, western, southern, and central regions. Saddam Haftar will nominate candidates to head the eastern and southern staff, while Al-Zoubi will nominate those for the western and central staff, with final names to be approved at a joint meeting.
A joint command body—consisting of the Minister of Defense and the Deputy Commander-in-Chief—will oversee the unified military institution. The official name of this body will be designated later. The joint command body must approve any restructuring of military and security entities, budget allocations, security contracts or procurement, and military operations outside the respective geographical zones currently controlled by the two sides. Equipment and weaponry will also be distributed balanced across all four military regions.
A final decision regarding the post of Commander-in-Chief and its specific powers has been deferred for future consultations. Two proposals are currently under consideration: splitting the position’s powers equally, or abolishing the post entirely if Saddam Haftar joins the Presidential Council.
Upon signing the final security agreement, the joint command body will immediately begin forming a joint military force tasked with securing all of Libya’s borders. This joint force is specifically designated in leaked drafts as the ‘South Protection Force’. It shall operate under direct operational oversight of the Minister of Defense to secure southern borders and combat smuggling. There is no information about an Eastern and Western Protection Force for the borders with Egypt and Algeria/Tunisia.
The remaining terms will take effect once a wider political agreement enters into force. Both parties agreed to form joint technical committees with a set timeline to finalize the practical mechanisms and technical details required to implement the agreement.