On 22 May, Libyan National Army (LNA) Chief of Staff Land Forces Saddam Haftar arrived with a delegation from the LNA General Command in the Nigerien capital, Niamey, where he was received by Nigerien Minister of Interior General Muhammed Toumba amid an official welcome ceremony.
Thereafter, he met with the President of the Republic of Niger General Abdourahamane Tchiani in Niamey as the envoy of his father, LNA Commander Khalifa Haftar. The meeting addressed the latest regional and international developments and ways to strengthen military and security cooperation between the two countries. They also discussed prospects for bilateral partnership to serve the stability of the region and contribute to supporting efforts in combating terrorism and extremism. At the conclusion of the meeting, President Tchiani awarded Saddam Haftar the National Order of Merit, the highest honor in the Republic of Niger, in recognition of the efforts of the LNA in combating terrorism and their role in supporting regional security.
On 22 May, the Head of the (eastern) Counter-Narcotics and Psychotropic Substances Agency, Major General Adel Abdul Aziz Omar, held an official meeting with Niger’s Minister of Interior (MoI) Toumba, who is also Head of the Central Office for Combating Illegal Drug Trafficking. The meeting was attended by several senior security officials from both sides. During the meeting, the two sides discussed frameworks for joint cooperation in combating drug smuggling and trafficking, including relevant bilateral, regional, and international agreements. They also reviewed past cooperation experiences that led to the dismantling of several transnational organized crime networks. The attendees also discussed a rapid response plan to deal with the increase in drug smuggling in terms of quantity, type, and trafficking methods. They emphasized the importance of activating early warning mechanisms and controlled delivery through the adoption of official contact points between the two sides.
On 25 May, Government of National Stability (GNS) Foreign Minister Abd al-Hadi al-Huweij received a high-level ministerial delegation from Niger at Benina International Airport in Benghazi. The Nigerien delegation, including the Ministers of Interior and Oil, and the Secretary-General of the Ministry of Mines, is on an official visit to strengthen bilateral relations and expand cooperation in vital sectors. This visit coincided with the celebrations of the 11th anniversary of Operation Dignity.