Africa
SAMEH Shoukry, Egyptian foreign minister on Wednesday, July 22, discussed with his French and German counterparts the recent developments in war-torn Libya. Shoukry stressed the necessity for a cease-fire in Libya.
Ahmed Hafez, spokesman of the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said in a statement that the three top diplomats discussed the importance of pushing the political settlement forward in separate phone conversations.
Shoukry reiterated that Egypt prioritises working on reaching a cease-fire and Libyan-Libyan solution based on negotiations to promote the unity of the Libyan territories and to uproot the terrorist groups and militias. The Egyptian foreign minister added that only a political settlement for the ongoing conflicts in Libya will stand firmly against the spread of extremist organisations.
On July 16, Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi vowed that “his country will not stand idle in face of any direct threats to the security of Egypt and Libya.”
His remarks came one day after tribal leaders allied to the eastern-based Libyan National Army (LNA) led by Khalifa Haftar authorised him, during a meeting in Cairo, to intervene militarily in Libya.
On Monday, Egypt’s parliament approved sending troops to the western strategic direction to defend Egypt’s national security. Libya has been suffering a civil war since the ouster and killing of former leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.
The situation escalated in 2014, splitting power between two rival governments with warring forces, namely the UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) based in the capital Tripoli and the other in the north-eastern city of Tobruk allied with LNA. (Xinhua/NAN)
– Jul. 22, 2020 @ 15:45 GMT |
Tags: Egypt France Germany meet on Libyan crisis
