Libya's neighbors are worried. The Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Tunisia, Egypt and Chad, as well as diplomats from Sudan and Niger met in Algiers, Thursday, January 23, for a regional meeting on the initiative of Algeria. The challenge: finding a way out of the crisis that has torn apart Libya for 10 years and threatens the region's balance.

>> Ghassan Salamé fears a "regional war which takes Libya as a theater"

The concern to see the conflict degenerate into regional conflict was already palpable at the Berlin summit, which took place on January 19. The head of German diplomacy, Heiko Maas, was also present in the Algerian capital to inform the participants of the results of the international summit in Berlin. The eleven participants promised to respect an arms embargo and to no longer interfere in Libyan internal affairs.

However, the consequences of this engagement on the ground remain inconclusive to date: the two direct rivals, Fayez al-Sarraj, the head of the Union Government (GNA) recognized by the UN in Tripoli, and his rival who controls eastern Libya, Khalifa Haftar, refused to meet in Berlin. They also do not participate in the meeting in Algiers. And proof that the situation remains tense, Mitiga, the only functional airport in Tripoli, closed again on Wednesday evening after threats from pro-Haftar forces.

Diplomatic initiatives of Algeria

Anxious to remain at an equal distance from the two camps and hostile to any foreign interference, the Algerian authorities have intensified consultations in an attempt to contribute to a political solution. "All are asking for mediation from Algeria. It is encouraging (...). Peace in Libya is synonymous with peace at home," Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune said Wednesday evening at a press conference. .

Sharing nearly 1,000 km of border with Libya and seen as a key actor for a resolution of the crises in Libya and the Sahel, Algeria received on Tuesday the head of French diplomacy, Jean-Yves Le Drian, who welcomed the Algerian "diplomatic initiatives". Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who supports the GNA in Libya, is expected to arrive in Algiers on Sunday.

With AFP

The France 24 week summary invites you to come back to the news that marked the week

I subscribe

Download the app

google-play-badge_FR