Mohammad Ali al-Haddad

Mohammed Ali Ahmed al-Haddad (; 196723 December 2025) was a Libyan field marshal who served as the Chief of the General Staff of the Libyan Army from 2020 until his death in a plane crash in 2025. The highest-ranking Libyan officer in the Government of National Unity (GNU), al-Haddad played a key role in efforts to reunify Libya's military. He also expanded military relations with other countries, both regionally and internationally.

Early life and education Al-Haddad was born in Misrata in 1967. He graduated from a military college in Tripoli in 1987.

Military career Al-Haddad held many positions in the Libyan Army before the first Libyan civil war broke out in 2011. In February 2011, al-Haddad defected from Muammar Gaddafi's regime and joined the rebel forces after the civil war began, fighting against Gaddafi's forces in the battle of Misrata. In 2015, he was given a senior role in the Tripoli military region. In 2019, he played a role in confronting Libyan National Army forces in Tripoli during the Western Libya campaign. He became the highest-ranked officer of the internationally recognized Government of National Unity military.

From the time of his inauguration on, he vowed to end division in the military and build an army that could defend the nation's sovereignty. He led United Nations-backed talks to unify the army under the "5+5 Joint Military Committee". The military is divided under the larger context of the Libyan crisis, with a Tobruk-based rival government led by Khalifa Haftar controlling the military in eastern Libya. These talks continued in 2023, with meetings between the two being held in Paris. He also helped rebuild forces in western Libya and integrated local militias into the military.

During his tenure, al-Haddad aimed to expand Libya's international military relations, especially Turkey, making visits to Ankara in 2020, 2024, and 2025.

Later that day, a Dassault Falcon 50 jet carrying al-Haddad and seven others crashed near Kesikkavak, Turkey, shortly after taking off from Ankara, killing all occupants. Libyan prime minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh confirmed al-Haddad's death, saying "This grave loss is a great loss for the nation, for the military institution, and for all the people." Three days of national mourning were declared by the Government of National Unity. Al-Haddad's deputy, Salaheddine al-Namroush, was temporarily appointed to take his role.

On 27 December 2025, al-Haddad was posthumously promoted to field marshal by the president of the Libyan Presidential Council, Mohamed al-Menfi. His remains and that of the other victims were repatriated to Libya, and al-Haddad was buried in his native Misrata following official ceremonies in Ankara and Tripoli.