In a statement made by the Algerian Ministry of Defense, it was stated that military units carried out exercises with live bullets near the Libyan border. It was announced that the Chief of General Staff Said Chengriha also participated in the exercises conducted under the name of “Victory 2021”. The Ministry of Defense stated that most of the infantry and airborne troops were present during the exercises and that the main purpose of the exercise was to test the readiness of the existing troops for a possible war.
Troops affiliated with Haftar have recently attempted to close the Essen region on the Libya-Algeria border on June 21. Citing the attacks that took place shortly before the initiative as a reason, Khalifa Haftar caused the relations between the two countries to return from the brink of a major crisis. In the statement of the Libyan authorities, it was emphasized that the region is controlled by the security forces affiliated with the legitimate government and that Haftar does not have the authority to close the border.
One of the main objectives of the new Government of National Unity (GNU) and the Presidential Council, which took office in March 2021, is to unite the army and integrate many militia groups into the regular army. However, Haftar’s forces pose a serious obstacle in the current picture. LNA is active in some areas in the country’s Fezzan region. The issue of the unification of the army was one of the main topics in the Geneva talks between June 28–July 1.
