Abdelsalam Zoubi, Undersecretary of Defence in the Tripoli based Libyan government and Commander of the Western based 111 Brigade yesterday extoled the forthcoming Flintlock military exercises between both former foes, the western and the Hafter-controlled eastern forces in mid-April in the central city of Sirte.
Zoubi effused:
‘‘The proud Libya, on the insoluble land of Sirte, which has been watered with the pure blood of our martyrs, is hosting the most prominent military event characterized by national unity, in a military manner, and with African and international participation.
We are just a few days away from conducting the military exercise “Flintlock,” which is being held in partnership with AFRICOM, the U.S. Africa Command.
This event is more than a routine exercise, it is a living embodiment of the will of a nation that has decided to rise up from among its diaspora and reformulate its power on one undisputed principle: “Libya First.”
”Flintlock” is not just a display of capabilities, but rather a message written in the field before the letters, that when a weapon is brought together under the flag of the homeland, it transforms from a tool of division to a title of sovereignty.
It is the meeting of the guns that have been separated for a long time, so that today they meet not on the contact lines, but in the training grounds, shoulder to shoulder, with one doctrine and one goal.
In Sirte… The city, which has witnessed the harshest seasons, is repainting the scene in a different way: units from different regions of the country, melting distances and breaking down the barriers of yesterday, to say with one military voice: There is no place for division among those who swore to protect Libya.
As this scene illustrates, we can only pay tribute to the disciplined officers of the Libyan Army, in the west, south and east, who have chosen to side with the institution rather than anarchy, discipline rather than division.
Men who carried the honour of the military uniform, who were up to the oath, steadfast in their pledge, firmly consolidating the meaning of one army, and confirming that Libya, despite all that it has gone through, still has men to rely on in the most difficult stages.
With African and international participation, and under the auspices of AFRICOM, the event transcends its geographical boundaries, placing Libya at the centre of a regional scene that recognizes its role and affirms that its stability is not only an internal affair, but a pillar of the security of the entire region.
This exercise is the beginning of a phase in which power is written in the language of unity, and sovereignty is preserved by the will of the people of the country’’.
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Libya to host for first time part of Flintlock 2026 multinational military exercises in mid-April
