Qatar pledges support for efforts to end Libya’s political division

By Al Jazeera Staff. Published On 28 Aug 202628 Aug 2026.

Key points

• Libya has been split since 2014 between the Tripoli-based administration of National Unity, led by Abdul Hamid Dbeibah, and the Haftar-backed eastern administration of Osama Hammad.
• Minister of State Mohammed bin Abdulaziz al-Khulaifi met with Khalifa Haftar, commander of the self-styled Libyan National Army.
• The committee drew four members each from the eastern House of Representatives and the Tripoli-linked High Council of the State.
• Qatar will keep engaging with Libyan parties and leaders to back United Nations efforts towards a political agreement, al-Khulaifi continued.
• The two authorities discussed regional developments and "topics of common interest, " the Qatari Foreign Ministry stated in an official note.

Qatar's minister of state has pledged his country's commitment to ending longstanding political division in Libya during a visit to Benghazi.

Minister of State Mohammed bin Abdulaziz al-Khulaifi met with Khalifa Haftar, commander of the self-styled Libyan National Army. It is aligned with the unrecognised eastern-based administration, on Thursday.

Meanwhile, the visit, during which al-Khulaifi expressed Qatar's backing for Libyan unity and sovereignty, comes as the country faces the challenge of implementing a lately agreed election pact.

For context, the two authorities discussed regional developments and "topics of common interest, " the Qatari Foreign Ministry stated in an official note.

Al-Khulaifi affirmed Qatar's backing for "a political process that reflects Libyans' aspirations while aiming at preserving the country's sovereignty, " according to the statement.

He additionally stressed the need for continued dialogue and reconciliation to build consensus and pave the way for stability.

He earlier informed Al Jazeera he had discussed ways to backing the political process and national dialogue with leaders in Tripoli.

Libyan negotiators agreed last week to an initial election pact aimed at ending years of political division within the country.

For context, a document obtained by Al Jazeera Arabic demonstrates the "4+4" committee's agreement, initiated in Tunisia, rewrites the laws governing presidential and legislative elections and sets a 24-month deadline to hold them.

Notably, the committee drew four members each from the eastern House of Representatives and the Tripoli-linked High Council of the State.

Meanwhile, the pact, nevertheless, is on shaky ground, with residents from both sides saying they were left out of discussions or had not seen the final text.

In practice, the United Nations labelled the accord an notable step and notes the full agreement will be published once it is formally signed.

Meanwhile, the UN and other mediators have spent years trying to resolve the split by arranging elections. Nevertheless, the implementation of the pact is viewed as challenging, due to divided state institutions, legal voids, and lingering political mistrust.

Libyan legal expert Al-Mahdi Kashbour informed Al Jazeera that there appears to be a gap between the powers of the parties that signed the agreement and the institutions with the authority to implement it.

Libya political analyst Elias al-Barouni stressed that the pact does not create any concrete aims for the country's elections. Even if legal hurdles are cleared, the difficulty then shifts to who governs Libya in the interim, he went on.

Taken together, the developments around qatar pledges support for efforts to end Libya's political division point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.