Khalifa Haftar

Rule Changes

Leads eastern Libyan forces; ties with Cairo are being recalibrated

Egypt reopened its embassy in Tripoli on November 7, ending a 12-year closure. Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty inaugurated the building, shut since January 2014, while Cairo spent most of that time backing eastern commander Khalifa Haftar.

Updated 3 days ago

Rule Changes

Commands the Libyan National Army, which controls eastern Libya

Libya's eastern-based House of Representatives voted unanimously on October 20 to approve a 2019 maritime boundary agreement with Turkey. The vote repealed two 2020 decisions that rejected the accord and cut political ties with Ankara. Turkey welcomed the vote, with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan calling it significant.

Updated Oct 21

Rule Changes

As of May 2026: Dominant military figure in eastern Libya; central to US reunification framework

Libya has not had a single national budget since 2013, with two rival governments—one in Tripoli, one in the east—spending the country's oil wealth through separate, competing channels with no shared oversight. On April 11, 2026, representatives of both legislatures signed a US-mediated agreement on a unified 190 billion Libyan dinar (roughly $30 billion) budget covering four categories of state spending: salaries, development, subsidies, and operations.

Updated May 31