Southern security tied to development projects
LIBYA – Libyan political analyst Khaled Al-Hijazi has said the visit by the army’s Deputy Commander-in-Chief, Lt Gen Saddam Haftar, to Al-Waw military base came at a sensitive time, amid overlapping security and economic challenges that make the south one of the strategic issues for Libya’s national security.
Al-Hijazi told Erem News that the south faces mounting challenges because of its long borders with Sudan, Chad and Niger, the spread of networks smuggling people, weapons and fuel, the movements of cross-border armed groups and the fallout from regional conflicts in neighbouring countries — making securing the region a necessity that goes beyond traditional military calculations.
Service challenges and development opportunities
On the economic front, he pointed to weak infrastructure, fuel and electricity crises, deteriorating health and education services and high unemployment in the south, despite its oil, mineral and agricultural wealth and a geographical location that he said qualifies it to be Libya’s economic gateway to the African interior.
Al-Hijazi said that, in his reading, Lt Gen Saddam Haftar’s visit reflects an approach combining a stronger military deployment with the launch of development projects, including road upgrades and the revival of agricultural activity, adding that its success depends on turning pledges into tangible results.
He stressed that the south needs a comprehensive national strategy that links security with development and gives residents a real role in running their affairs and benefiting from its resources, arguing that stability not reflected in citizens’ lives remains incomplete and that the south is not merely a border to be guarded but a strategic depth that deserves development.
