Journalist Youssef Hussein, known as “Issa Abdul Qayyum,” offered a reading of Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar’s speech before southern tribes, labeling it a “speech of self-determination.” He saw its primary message as reordering the source of legitimacy to place the people at the forefront, emphasizing a direct and frank engagement between the army and society at a moment that cannot tolerate recycled solutions. He considered the UN envoy’s announcement of the roadmap’s expiration and the talk of a “structured dialogue” to mean nothing more than a return to the “revolving door game” that has obstructed solutions and weakened trust.
According to Abdul Qayyum, the speech makes a clear appeal to “national forces” to rise up and take the initiative, based on the principle that the domestic front is the decision-maker. He adds that the army’s declaration of its alignment with the people’s choice places the “institutions with expired mandates” and any force that might suppress the popular will before an unequivocal test, thereby moving the discussion from negotiation halls to the realm of organized societal action.
It is noted that the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, said in his speech that Libya stands at a “pivotal point” that requires a “decisive decision” regarding the stalemated political scene. He called on Libyans to issue a clear decision on the intertwined political paths, thereby launching a “new phase of serious national action” based on a broad popular movement led by active national forces, foremost among them elders and wise men, to ensure the compass is unified toward a single goal.
The Field Marshal affirmed that state institutions “have no choice but to completely submit to what the people decide” when this movement crystallizes, vowing that “the armed forces will confront anyone who stands against the people’s decision and choices.” He concluded by stressing that unity of ranks and a unified voice are necessary conditions for building a “new Libya,” and that the current moment is an opportunity to test the national will before any other arrangements are made.