Haftar: A Defining Moment Demands a Decisive Decision — A Popular Movement to Chart the Road Toward a Unified State
Libya — Field Marshal Khalifa Belqasim Haftar, Commander-in-Chief of the Libyan Arab Armed Forces, welcomed the gathering of southern Libyan tribes at what he described as “this blessed meeting,” praising their national role in promoting social peace and their unwavering support for the Armed Forces and for the “Dignity Revolution,” which, he said, “defeated terrorism and eradicated extremism.”
Out of his “commitment to ensuring that the South receives the attention and support it deserves,” Haftar announced the launch of the “Together for the South” initiative and the dispatch of a delegation representing the General Command “to directly assess the region’s needs and work to overcome the difficulties facing our people there.”
The Dignity Revolution: A Vision Beyond Defeating Terrorism
Haftar stressed that the Dignity Revolution’s vision “is not limited to defeating terrorism,” but rather “extends to broader horizons.” Its first communiqué, he said, marked “the starting point toward that goal.” He affirmed that “the souls of our martyrs and the blood of our wounded” were “the heavy price we paid for our homeland to live free and dignified, and for Libyans to stand tall on their own land with pride and honor.”
A Difficult Road… Yet Security and Stability Achieved
The Field Marshal noted that “the path has never been paved with roses.” Despite “the mines and barbed wire that lined the way,” the Armed Forces “have advanced a long distance toward achieving security and stability,” and are now moving into “the battle of reconstruction, development, and fostering national spirit and pride in belonging to this beloved homeland.”
A Defining Crossroads — The Need for a Decisive Decision
After “a long journey of struggle,” Haftar declared that Libya “stands today at a defining crossroads that compels us to make a decisive decision regarding the deeply complicated political scene.”
He emphasized that the time for patience has passed: “We have given sufficient time to all local and international initiatives to resolve this escalating crisis — to no avail.”
Responsibility for Change Lies With the People
Haftar asserted that “the responsibility for taking the decision to bring about a radical change in the political landscape — which has gravely harmed the nation and the citizen, undermining sovereignty and threatening unity and social cohesion — rests entirely on the shoulders of all Libyans.”
“The time has come,” he said, “for the Libyan people to make their decisive choice and clearly express their stance toward all overlapping and conflicting political paths.”
He urged citizens to “evaluate how these tracks have affected their daily lives and determine whether they can endure more suffering and further futile attempts.”
The people, he said, must “conduct a comprehensive assessment of the country’s condition and take the decision to launch a new phase of genuine national work” — one that “addresses political and other crises obstructing state-building,” ushering in “a stage where the people themselves are sovereign, the guardians of their destiny, and the ultimate decision-makers.”
Ending Futile Transitional Phases — A Broad National Movement
Haftar argued that “excluding the people from determining their own fate and shaping the roadmap to state-building” has led to “a series of identical transitional phases with identical outcomes,” resulting in “stagnation and paralysis.”
“The coming stage,” he continued, “must differ in both its nature and its direction — it must emerge from a broad national movement led by and involving the living forces of the nation.”
Foremost among these, he said, are “our esteemed tribal elders and wise men,” as part of “a movement that includes all segments of Libyan society across every city.”
He underlined that all “state institutions, from the highest to the lowest,” must “submit fully to the will of the people expressed through this movement, abandoning any path that does not derive its legitimacy directly from the people.”
The Armed Forces Will Protect the People’s Decision
Haftar affirmed: “You will find your Armed Forces confronting anyone who seeks to oppose the will and choices of the people.”
He called on “all national forces across Libya” to “unite their word and their ranks in a single front aimed at building a new Libya,” a country that “sheds the garments of apathy and dependence, and actively contributes to shaping a new national reality leading to lasting stability.”
This vision, he said, is to build “a unified Libyan state founded on solid principles that safeguard national sovereignty, dignity, and rights.”
A Movement Rooted in Popular Will
Haftar reminded attendees that the social base “was the strongest pillar of Operation Dignity in its battle against terrorism,” having “offered its sons to the ranks of the Armed Forces” and supported them “in their national duty to defend the homeland and impose security.”
Just as society once united to preserve social cohesion and promote reconciliation and harmony, Haftar said, it must now “play a pivotal role in an organized, serious national movement that addresses the political crisis at its roots and draws a roadmap stemming from the people’s will.”
Such a movement, he concluded, “will close the chapters of the past, open the doors of a prosperous future, and fulfill the Libyan people’s aspirations.”
“May God guide you,” he ended, “and peace and God’s mercy be upon you.”
