By RFIPosted on 10-01-2020Modified on 10-01-2020 at 01:56

The French and Saudi foreign ministers were in Tunis on Thursday for talks at the highest level regarding the situation in Libya. At the same time, their Egyptian and Italian counterparts were in Algiers for the same subject. For his part, Marshal Khalifa Haftar announced the continuation of his offensive, welcoming however the call for a cease-fire launched the day before by Ankara and Moscow.

After President Erdogan's visit at the end of December, statements implying that Tunisia had chosen the Turkish side caused many upheavals and the occasion for an update.

First, has continued to remind the presidency, Tunisia is and will remain neutral. A usual positioning in international politics on the part of Tunis. Certainly, Tunisia supports the UN initiatives, but does not take sides between the neighboring belligerents. A position that allows Carthage to remain a privileged interlocutor of parties that are sometimes completely antagonistic.

Besides, its history, its geographic positioning, its size and its culture have made Tunisia a neutral and attentive country. Certainly, Libya constitutes a particular dossier. Its 460 km of common borders and the recent crises make Tunis an interlocutor of choice.

The president has just said that " everything indicates that the situation in Libya is likely to experience more complications ". History to recall that beyond being a neutral interlocutor in search of a peaceful solution, Tunisia fears the consequences of any deterioration in its neighbor. Starting with the management of population flows and the fear of intrusion by armed combatants or disruptive elements.

► Algeria against any interference in Libya

Algeria wants a political solution in Libya and opposes any foreign military intervention in the country with which it shares 1,000 kilometers of borders. Even if they condemned the violence and repeated their refusal of a military solution, the Algerian authorities were discreet on the Libyan file in 2019, in particular due to the internal context

This week, Algiers changes strategy. On Monday, President Abdelmadjid Tebboune received Fayez el-Sarraj, the head of the Libyan national unity government, then the Turkish Minister for Foreign Affairs. Wednesday evening, it was the Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs who made the trip, then this Thursday, his Egyptian counterpart.

At each meeting, the Algerian authorities reiterated the need to enforce the ceasefire and the arms embargo. They thus call on the UN Security Council to assume its responsibilities in this regard. Because for Algiers, " the escalation of acts of violence " is induced " by foreign interference ".

► Call for a cease-fire: Haftar announces the continuation of its offensive

Marshal Khalifa Haftar, a strong man from eastern Libya, announced Thursday the continuation of his offensive, welcoming however the call for a cease-fire launched the day before by Ankara and Moscow, in the midst of a diplomatic crossover faced with the risk of internationalization of the conflict in Libya.

An adviser to Marshal Haftar clarified that this is not a rejection of the initiative but rather " conditions that must be met " before any cease-fire. Haftar believed that stability and the revival of the political process could not be achieved before the " eradication of terrorist groups " and the dissolution and disarmament of the militias. Since April, pro-Haftar forces have been conducting an offensive to take Tripoli, seat of the government of national unity (GNA), recognized by the UN.

RFI

    On the same subject

    Tunisia: lively controversy after the visit of the Turkish president

    Visit to Tunisia, Erdogan reiterates his support for the Libyan government

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