U.S. Presidential Adviser for Arab and African Affairs, Massad Boulos, appeared in an interview with Al Arabiya Al Hadath, where he discussed the U.S. initiative in Libya. His remarks provide several links that connect the initiative to the country’s current political landscape.
Boulos explained that the initiative’s track began more than a year ago, with the first meeting between representatives from eastern and western Libya. That meeting was held in Rome on September 3 of last year and brought together Ibrahim Dbeibah, National Security Adviser to the Prime Minister of the Government of National Unity, and Saddam Haftar, Deputy Commander of the General Command.
He stressed that the U.S. initiative is fundamentally a Libyan-Libyan initiative, emphasizing that decisions regarding the selection of the Presidential Council and the government are matters for Libyans themselves, primarily the two negotiating sides, while noting that he remains in close contact with them.
Regarding the participation of southern Libya, Boulos said the initiative is not limited to the eastern and western regions and that the south must be a full partner in any agreement. Presidential Council member Musa Al-Koni had previously objected to the initiative before later expressing support following his meeting with Boulos in the United States last April. However, it remains unclear who will represent southern Libya within the initiative, and no political bloc from the south has yet issued an official position.
Notably, Boulos did not mention the current Presidential Council at any point during the interview. As for the House of Representatives and the High Council of State, he referred to the support of 109 members of the House of Representatives for the initiative, describing it as a significant majority. He also stressed the need to engage the remaining members, as well as the speakers of both councils, and to include all stakeholders in the roadmap to ensure its success.
Boulos further stated that the roles of the House of Representatives and the High Council of State would not end with the initiative, but would remain essential. At the same time, his initial references to the two negotiating sides focused solely on representatives of eastern and western Libya, without clearly linking the two councils to the executive arrangements he outlined. He did not specify their exact responsibilities under the initiative, including whether their role would be confined to legislative matters or extend to approving electoral laws.
He also highlighted the role of several regional countries—including Egypt, Türkiye, Italy, France, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar—in supporting the political process. However, he made no reference to influential members of the UN Security Council involved in the Libyan file, such as Russia and the United Kingdom.
A week earlier, Cairo hosted a four-party meeting attended by Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, and Massad Boulos. The participants discussed developments in Libya and the country’s political process.
Boulos cited what he described as key achievements, including the approval of a unified state budget for the first time in 13 years, joint military exercises in Sirte under the supervision of AFRICOM, and the establishment of joint operations rooms between eastern and western Libya.
However, these developments have yet to materialize as intended. Libya’s military institution remains divided, while the unified budget has not officially entered into force, and no tangible progress has been recorded toward its implementation following its signing.
Boulos concluded by affirming that the U.S. initiative is “100 percent complementary” to the UN Support Mission’s roadmap. According to him, the UN mission is focused on the long-term structural political process, whereas the U.S. initiative is designed to manage Libya’s transitional phase over the short and medium term.
Fawasel | Libya