In a worrying security development, Turkish authorities announced on Tuesday that they had lost contact with a plane carrying the Chief of Staff of the Libyan National Army, Lieutenant General Mohammed al-Haddad, shortly after its departure from the Turkish capital, Ankara. This news has sparked anticipation and concern in political and military circles, given al-Haddad's prominent position in the current Libyan landscape.
Details of the incident and initial actions
According to initial reports, the aircraft took off from an airport in Ankara before suddenly disappearing from radar screens and all contact with it was lost. No detailed information has yet been released regarding the type of aircraft or the number of people accompanying the Libyan Chief of Staff. However, Turkish search and rescue teams immediately launched extensive search operations in the area where contact was lost, amidst high-level coordination between Turkish and Libyan authorities to monitor the situation.
Turkish-Libyan military relations: a strategic context
The visit of General Mohammed al-Haddad to Turkey is of particular importance given the close strategic relationship between Tripoli and Ankara. Turkey is considered the most prominent regional supporter of the Government of National Accord, headed by Abdul Hamid Dbeibah. This relationship is based on the security and military memorandum of understanding signed in November 2019, under which Turkey provided significant military and logistical support to forces in western Libya and contributed to the restructuring and training of army units affiliated with the Tripoli government.
Haddad is the key link in this military cooperation, as he directly oversees the training and armament programs that are sponsored by Turkey, making his safety a vital issue for the continuation of security coordination between the two countries.
The importance of mourning in the equation of unifying the military institution
Domestically, General Mohammed al-Haddad plays a pivotal role in efforts to unify the Libyan military, which is divided between east and west. In recent times, al-Haddad has engaged in a series of rare and important meetings with his counterpart in eastern Libya, General Abdul Razzaq al-Nadhuri, within the framework of the Joint Military Commission (5+5). These meetings aimed to lay the foundations for a unified Libyan army and to insulate the military institution from political rivalries.
Any harm that befalls the Chief of Staff at this sensitive time could cast a dark shadow over these fragile negotiations and further complicate the military situation in western Libya, especially given the ongoing political tensions between the rival governments vying for legitimacy. International and local circles are anxiously awaiting news of the fate of the aircraft and its passengers in the coming hours, hoping that the incident was merely a technical malfunction.
