By RFIPosted on 17-01-2020Modified on 17-01-2020 at 04:21

An international conference on Libya is to be held in Berlin under the aegis of the United Nations, this Sunday, January 19. It aims to relaunch a peace process for this country in crisis for several years.

The head of the Libyan government of national unity, Fayez el-Sarraj, and the strongman of eastern Libya, Marshal Khalifa Haftar, should both be present at this meeting in Germany.

Fayez el-Sarraj made it known this Thursday. And Khalifa Haftar agrees in principle, according to the German Foreign Minister, who met him in Benghazi, Libya. He adds that he is ready to respect the cease-fire.

A truce entered into force last Sunday , around Tripoli. Nine months after the launch of an attack by the troops of the strongman from eastern Libya to the capital.

This meeting, scheduled for Berlin on Sunday, will take place less than a week after that of Moscow, organized under the aegis of Russia and Turkey. The two protagonists of the Libyan crisis were present, but did not see each other. A ceasefire agreement was signed by Fayez el-Sarraj, but not by Marshal Haftar .

Internationalization of the conflict

On Sunday, several countries will be represented: Russia, Turkey, the United States, China, Italy and France, President Emmanuel Macron having planned to go there. This meeting is held against a background of fear of the internationalization of the conflict.

Russia denies it, but it is suspected of intervening for the camp of Marshal Haftar. While Turkey recently authorized the sending of soldiers to Libya , in support of the GNA forces.

Double emergency

" It is also because of this new situation that Haftar is making the trip," analyzes an observer. There is a double emergency: politico-military and economic. The soldier with Sarraj and the Turks on one side and Haftar and his international supporters on the other. In this showdown, it is to make Libya a bis Syria. On the economic level, Turkey continues its aims after the maritime delimitation agreement - controversial - concluded at the end of November in Istanbul by Ankara and Tripoli. "

This agreement allows Erdogan to have claims on certain very important gas fields and to have his say on the EastMed gas pipeline project, which aims to export Israeli gas to central Europe and which would cross the area claimed by the Turks . " Berlin, in truth, that's it," asserts this observer: a merciless struggle for gas supplies. At the risk of making Libya disappear ”.

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