Libyan reactions to Exercise Flintlock 2026, US AFRICOM’s annual special forces exercise, have been mixed, with some Tripoli and Misratan groups rejecting the participation of Government of National Unity (GNU) Ministry of Defense Undersecretary for Regions and Military Affairs Abdussalam al-Zoubi.
On 15 April, House of Representatives (HoR) member Jeballah al Shibani said the joint training in Sirte between eastern and western forces reflects broader efforts to rebuild national unity after years of division. He described the drills as a step toward consolidating Libya’s fragmented security institutions and noted that Washington has long supported a unified Libyan state to limit external interference. While acknowledging ongoing political uncertainty and foreign involvement, he called the exercise a positive sign of growing coordination and stressed that dialogue and unity are essential for safeguarding Libya’s territorial integrity and achieving lasting stability.
Moussa Ibrahim, Qadhafi’s last official spokesperson, said that Libyan officers training alongside foreign forces on Libyan soil reflects not cooperation but a loss of independent military decision making and a transfer of sovereignty to external powers. He argued that no state can claim true sovereignty while its army operates under foreign direction. He described Libya as a weakened state shaped by outside agendas seeking control over its resources and future, and called for rebuilding a unified national project that restores sovereignty, independence, and dignity for all Libyans, insisting that sovereignty is the foundation of the state itself.
In reaction to Zoubi’s meeting with Libyan National Army (LNA) Deputy Commander Saddam Haftar, the Misrata Military Council called on GNU PM Abdul Hameed Dabaiba to dismiss him immediately and warned Zoubi not to enter Misrata.
On 16 April, the Tripoli Protection Force, an umbrella organization of several militias in the capital, issued a sharply worded statement condemning Zoubi for participating in the event alongside Saddam Haftar, arguing that such cooperation betrays the sacrifices of fighters who defended the capital during past conflicts. The group insisted Zoubi represents only himself and accused him of attempting to legitimize figures they view as responsible for attacks on Tripoli. It rejected any ‘military normalization’ with eastern commanders, warned Zoubi against claiming to speak for the capital, and stressed that Tripoli’s security and dignity remain the responsibility of its own forces. The statement concluded that the city will not forget past violence and that its defenders will oppose any moves they see as undermining its safety or the memory of its fallen.
On 20 April, the GNU issued a statement denying the authenticity of the decision circulating on some social media pages, attributed to Zoubi, regarding a military delegation’s visit to the East. It confirms that the document is forged and baseless.
On the other side, Muhammed Bahroun aka al-Far, powerful militia leader from Zawiyya, voiced full support for the unified participation of military units from eastern and western Libya in the Flintlock 2026 exercise in Sirte, describing it as a step that breaks years of division and strengthens national defense despite opposition from some factions. He praised the joint coordination underway under international supervision and stressed that objections will not derail efforts to unify Libya’s military ranks around the goal of protecting national sovereignty.