Southern security and new development projects
LIBYA – Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Lt Gen Saddam Haftar has stressed continued work to secure Libya’s southern borders and protect its sovereignty, alongside the continued development of infrastructure and of development and investment projects in the south, during a field tour that began at Al-Waw military base.
Meeting stationed troops and Central Support personnel
Lt Gen Saddam Haftar said he had met officers and soldiers of the armed forces and Central Support personnel stationed at their posts, praising their sacrifices and efforts in confronting smuggling, organised crime and cross-border threats, and stressing the importance of protecting border areas and raising readiness.
Border management project with a Turkish company
He said the General Command was continuing to develop the border protection system, including an integrated project to manage and monitor the borders, contracted to the Turkish construction company Akteknik İnşaat. He linked the project to a vision in which stability is not limited to securing the borders but must be reflected in residents’ lives through work, investment and prosperity.
International road, free zone and agriculture
He pointed to support for the Sirte–Sokna–Sebha (SSS) international road and the Sirte free zone, the maintenance and development of roads linking the cities of the south, and the revival of agricultural projects neglected for years, with the aim of strengthening links between the north and south of the country and opening up trade and investment opportunities with its African neighbours.
Praise for Fezzan’s communities and a call to protect gains
In his statement, Lt Gen Saddam Haftar commended the positions of Fezzan’s communities and their rejection of what he described as attempts by extremist and criminal groups to threaten the south’s security, praising the sacrifices of their people serving in the armed forces in defending their families, cities and regions.
Pledge to support services and sustain stability
He renewed his pledge to the people of the south to keep supporting them and to harness available resources to improve security, services and living conditions, stressing that criminals and mercenaries would not, in his words, be allowed to bring back chaos or undermine the stability and economic and development gains achieved.
The south as a pillar of Libya’s unity and economy
He added that work would continue to turn the south’s resources and capabilities into real development opportunities, making it a pillar of Libya’s strength, unity and economic future, describing the security and advancement of the south as part of the security and advancement of the nation, and protecting and building the country as an ongoing national commitment.
