Haftar's absence from the scene, under international pressure, will facilitate the process of unifying the Libyan army, but his insistence on heading the unified military establishment will make matters more complicated. Former head of the Presidential Council Fayez Al-Sarraj agreed in principle to Haftar's appointment as the army chief – before the attack on Tripoli. Today, after the failure of Haftar's offensive against Tripoli and despite his growing influence in eastern Libya, the commander of the eastern forces will probably never run for the position of army chief. Since 2014, Haftar has remained commander in chief of the army, along with his militia's Chief of Staff, Abdul Razzaq Al-Nazouri, and the defence minister. This is why the task of integrating the militias loyal to Haftar into the unified Libyan army is challenging.

Source: Libya Today March 30, 2021 16:18 UTC