Egypt proposes new plan for Libya, Marshal Haftar agrees to a cease-fire

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al Sissi presented, on Saturday June 6, a new peace initiative for Libya by proposing, alongside Marshal Khalifa Haftar, who controls the east of the country, the creation of an elected council and the introduction of a cease-fire from Monday 8 June.

Presented after the failure of Marshal Haftar's offensive on Tripoli, the plan also includes a call for negotiations in Geneva and the withdrawal of all foreign fighters from Libya, added Abdel Fattah al Sissi, also accompanied by the president of Libyan Eastern Parliament, Aguila Saleh.

In the conflict against government forces, the strong man from eastern Libya, supported a ceasefire from Monday.

"Dismantling of militias" and "surrender of arms"

The initiative, dubbed the "Cairo Declaration", calls for the withdrawal of "foreign mercenaries from all over Libya," the "dismantling of the militias and the handing over of arms," ​​said Abdel Fattah al Sissi.

According to him, the initiative opens the way to the formation of an elected presidential council in Libya and prevents "extremist groups and militias" from controlling the country's resources.

شرفت اليوم بلقاء كل من المستشار عقيلة صالح والمشير خليفة حفتر القائد العام للقوات المسلحة الليبية بقصر الاتحادية صباح اليوم, والذي أسفر عن إعلان القاهرة لمبادرة ليبية ليبية لإنهاء الأزمة والوصول إلى تسوية سلمية تتضمن وحدة وسلامة المؤسسات الوطنية وعودة ليبيا بقوة إلى المجتمع الدولي pic.twitter. com / go1Yh55YEo

The French Minister of Foreign Affairs, Jean-Yves Le Drian, "welcomed the result obtained" by Egypt, during a meeting with his counterpart Sameh Choukry, said the Quai d'Orsay in a press release .

"He stressed that priority should go to the immediate cessation of hostilities and the rapid conclusion of a cease-fire" and insisted on "the importance of achieving the unification of Libyan institutions (... ) and the organization of parliamentary and presidential elections, "added the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Tripoli Speaker of Parliament rejects plan

Since the 2011 overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi, Libya has had no stable institutions. For more than five years, competing governments and parliaments have ruled the west for some, and others for the east.

Abdel Fattah al Sissi's proposed peace plan comes just days after the failure of the offensive launched in April 2019 by Marshal Haftar on Tripoli, where the Libyan government of national understanding (GEN), recognized by the UN.

The president of the Tripoli Parliament, Khaled al Mechri, rejected this plan emanating from him from a defeated force, according to Al Djazira.

After repelling the offensive on Tripoli, GEN forces continued to advance, and Marshal Haftar's Libyan National Army (LNA) was forced to withdraw from Al Wachka, west of the coastal city of Sirte , said sources on both sides.

Multiple truce projects

Egypt, along with the United Arab Emirates and Russia, took the side of the ANL, but this support was insufficient in the face of the military support provided in recent months to the GEN by Turkey.

In a brief statement after the presentation of the Egyptian plan, Khalifa Haftar said he hoped that Abdel Fattah al Sissi could make "urgent and effective efforts to force Turkey to completely stop the transfer of arms and mercenaries to Libya".

Numerous truce projects and attempts to relaunch peace negotiations have already failed for Libya. However, in recent days, the United Nations has been engaged in separate discussions with the two belligerent camps in recent days to try to achieve a cease-fire.

With AFP

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

Take international news everywhere with you! Download the France 24 app