Qatar backs efforts to bridge Libya's political divide after Benghazi visit
Qatar has said it supports efforts to end Libya's long-running political division after a senior envoy visited Benghazi and met eastern commander Khalifa Haftar. The meeting took place on Thursday and comes as Libyan negotiators try to move forward with a recently agreed election pact. The visit adds a regional diplomatic signal to a process that has struggled for years to produce a unified political settlement.
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Minister of State Mohammed bin Abdulaziz al-Khulaifi met Haftar, who commands the self-styled Libyan National Army and is aligned with the eastern-based administration. According to a statement from Qatar's Foreign Ministry, the two sides discussed regional developments and topics of common interest. Al-Khulaifi said Qatar supports a political process that reflects Libyans' aspirations while preserving the country's sovereignty.
He also stressed the need for continued dialogue and reconciliation to build consensus and create conditions for stability. Qatar said it would keep engaging with Libyan parties and leaders in support of United Nations efforts toward a political agreement. The envoy had earlier said he discussed ways to support the political process and national dialogue with leaders in Tripoli, indicating contacts on both sides of Libya's divide.
The visit matters because Libya remains split between the Tripoli-based Government of National Unity, led by Abdul Hamid Dbeibah, and the eastern administration backed by Haftar and headed by Osama Hammad. That division has persisted since 2014 and has repeatedly complicated efforts to hold national elections. Any external engagement that reaches both camps can influence whether the latest talks gain traction or stall.
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The diplomatic push also comes shortly after Libyan negotiators agreed to an initial election pact aimed at ending years of political fragmentation. The deal was reached by the so-called 4+4 committee, with four members from the eastern House of Representatives and four from the Tripoli-linked High Council of State. A document seen by Al Jazeera Arabic said the agreement rewrites the laws governing presidential and legislative elections and sets a 24-month deadline for holding them.
Even so, the pact remains fragile. People from both sides have said they were excluded from the talks or had not seen the final text, and the United Nations has described the deal as an important step while saying the full agreement will be published once formally signed. What remains unclear is whether the latest diplomatic contacts will help turn the election framework into a binding settlement, and whether Libya's rival institutions can agree on the next steps without further delay.
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