Tripoli: Libya commemorates today, Sunday, August 9, the 86th anniversary of the founding of the Libyan Army, which dates back to 1940 when steps began in Egypt to form a Libyan military force to participate in the liberation struggle against Italian colonialism.
According to Libyan News Agency, this step followed a meeting convened by Prince Idris al-Sanusi in Cairo, with the participation of a number of Libyan leaders and figures, to discuss the formation of a military force from among Libyans to contribute to the liberation of the country. This led to the establishment of the nucleus of the Sanusi Liberation Army, which participated in the battles of North Africa alongside the Allied forces.
This force formed one of the first building blocks in the development of the Libyan military institution, which evolved after the country's independence in 1951, within the institutions of the modern Libyan state.
The Chief of the General Staff of the Libyan Army, Lieutenant General Salah al-Din al-Namroush, congratulated the members of the Libyan Army, saying, "86 years of dedication and service in defense of the homeland, its land, its sovereignty, and the dignity of its people."
In a recorded address commemorating the 86th anniversary of the founding of the Libyan Army, he added, "From Abu Rawash, the first building block of a national army was laid, uniting Libyans under one banner... men united by a single dream: a free Libya, and a national army to protect its sovereignty... one army... one doctrine... one leadership, with no allegiance except to God and then to the homeland, and no defense except for the banner of a free and unified Libya."
Al-Namroush affirmed the determination to build a capable, well-trained, disciplined army, armed with science and knowledge, an army capable of protecting the homeland and its resources on land, at sea, and in the air.