The General Commander of the Armed Forces, Field Marshal Chief of Staff Khalifa Abu Al-Qasim Haftar, received the elders, dignitaries, and wise men of the tribes of Kukla city at the Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar Military City. The meeting was attended by the Director of the General Commander’s Office, Lieutenant General Ayoub Bousif, the Assistant General Commander, Lieutenant General Bassem Al-Boushi, and the Prime Minister of the Libyan Government, Dr. Osama Hammad.
Field Marshal Haftar’s speech:
“We welcome you, esteemed gentlemen, the elders and wise men of the cherished Kukla, here in Benghazi—the city of security, peace, and reconstruction. Libyans find its doors open to them at all times, through hardship and prosperity. They enter it in peace and safety, unless they come to sow corruption, and they leave it only with a yearning to return. Welcome, dear brothers, you are among your people. We are honoured by your arrival.
Our dear brothers, Libyans look forward to seeing their country, across its entire expanse, witness stability and development in all sectors. They look forward to an end to genuine disagreements, and an end to the lack of interaction among the state’s supreme authority institutions, so that those institutions can dedicate themselves, allocate their full time, and devote all their efforts to efficiently and faithfully discharging their duties towards the citizen.
But, regrettably, their wait has been prolonged without a glimmer of hope or signs of reassurance appearing on the near or far horizon that things are moving towards achieving their aspirations. This is due to the political impasse and institutional fragmentation that dominate the general scene. On the contrary, the situation grows more strained and complicated with the passage of time. The citizen pays the price with harsh suffering in facing the demands and challenges of life. Cities and villages pay the price with neglect in development, construction, and reconstruction. And society as a whole pays the price with tension and anxiety over its cohesion and unity. Consequently, the nation, as a result of all this, is on the brink of sliding into a state of division, God forbid.
This is the bitter truth that Libyans must confront, understanding its dimensions and serious repercussions, so that they can remedy the situation before it is too late. They must unify their ranks and their word, and stand against the conspiracies targeting the nation’s present and future. They must return matters to their rightful place and not wait for solutions to descend upon them from the heavens. The solution is in their hands. They will not find anyone in the entire world more keen than themselves on the safety and unity of Libya, on the cohesion of society, and on preserving the spirit of reconciliation and brotherhood among its individuals and components. They will find no one more keen on their interests than themselves.
Esteemed gentlemen, discussions on the nation’s affairs and the dangers it faces could be lengthy. However, we will suffice in this blessed meeting by issuing a warning: the current trajectory of affairs must be corrected. There is no one on the local or international stage more entitled and capable than the Libyan people to correct this course, so that the direction moves immediately, without deviation, towards ensuring the country’s unity and building a strong state that extends its influence over all Libyan territories, achieving comprehensive revival in all fields. This is so that the Libyan citizen may live freely and with dignity, in security and safety, enjoying the bounty of his country and investing it to ascend to the highest ranks of progress and prosperity.”
