On Monday, the diplomatic movement in several capitals concerned with the Libyan crisis accelerated to stop the war and resume the political process, at a time when the government of national reconciliation and retired Major General Khalifa Haftar are mobilizing for a decisive battle in the city of Sirte.

Diplomacy has been active on the Libyan file after the recent defeats of Haftar forces in the southern suburbs of Tripoli and Tarhuna (approximately 80 km southeast of the capital) and the reconciliation of the reconciliation forces towards the city of Sirte (450 km east of Tripoli) as part of an operation aimed also at the restoration of the Jafra base, which was reported to be Russia recently deployed war planes in support of Haftar.

In Russia, the Foreign Ministry said today that Minister Sergei Lavrov and his Turkish counterpart Mevlüt Çavuşoغلlu confirmed their commitment to helping create conditions for reconciliation between the Libyan parties, and conveyed a statement to the ministry from Lavrov andoglu that they had begun to promote the terms of the Libyan peace process.

This comes at a time when President Vladimir Putin - during a telephone conversation with his Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah al-Sisi today - expressed his support for the Cairo initiative on a settlement in Libya.

The Russian presidency said that Sisi told Putin the contents of his talks in Cairo with both Hifter and Tobruk Speaker Aqila Saleh.

Sisi announced in the presence of Haftar and Saleh what he called an initiative to solve the Libyan crisis that includes a cease-fire that was supposed to take effect from this morning, but that was not achieved. Libyan parties considered Sisi’s initiative an attempt to save Haftar after he lost all of his strongholds in the Libyan West within a few weeks.

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Jordan, Russia and Greece announced their support for the Egyptian initiative, while Algeria abstained, and the Libyan government of Al-Wefaq met with determination to continue its operations until the restoration of all lands.

In Washington, the National Security Council said in a tweet yesterday that it encouraged the peace initiative launched by Egypt in Libya, adding that there is still a lot of work to be done.

The Council also expressed that the initiative would lead to a ceasefire, the withdrawal of foreign forces from Libya, and a return to the negotiations led by the United Nations.


The settlement framework As for European Union foreign affairs spokesman Peter Stano, he said that any initiative on Libya should be based on United Nations resolutions and the Berlin conference, adding in statements that this initiative should include all parties without exception.

Earlier, Tunisian Foreign Minister Noureddine El-Rai had contacts with his counterparts in Libya, Algeria, Egypt and Morocco, which dealt with developments in Libya and efforts to stop the fighting there.

The head of the European Union Mission to Tripoli, Alan Bogia, yesterday discussed with Foreign Minister Mohamed Taher Siala the importance of the parties to the conflict participating in the joint military committee talks "5 + 5" under the auspices of the United Nations, and the UN mission said that the government of reconciliation and the forces of Haftar agreed to return to this The talks, but the reconciliation government did not confirm this.

Battle of Sirte
on the ground, forces of the Al-Wefaq government and armed groups loyal to Haftar are preparing for a decisive battle in Sirte by sending more military reinforcements to the area.

Al-Wefaq forces reached the outskirts of Sirte, but they faced air strikes and resistance on the ground from Haftar forces that had taken control of the city early this year.

Al-Jazeera correspondent in Libya, quoting a military source, reported the killing of ten Al-Wefaq forces today in the southwestern region of Sirte in air strikes by warplanes and another Emirati march belonging to Haftar's forces. The source affirmed that Al-Wefaq forces will maintain their advanced locations west of Sirte in the thirty kilo zone.

Al-Wefaq Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj called yesterday to continue operations until he expelled what he described as criminal gangs and mercenaries from all over Libya, while Interior Minister Fathi Pashaga stressed that engaging in political dialogue will not take place until after controlling the city of Sirte and the base of Jafra.

Field commanders of Al-Wefaq forces also confirmed that they would continue to advance towards Sirte until they regained control. On the other hand, Ahmed Al-Mesmari, a spokesman for Hifter's forces, announced today that they will continue their operations until the commitment (by the government of reconciliation) to the Egyptian initiative or the elimination of what he described as rogue cities.

In the midst of the willingness of the Al-Wefaq government to fight the Sirte battle, 28 battalions and companies of the military zone Sebha (southern Libya) renewed their support and adherence to this internationally recognized government.

In the city of Ubari, south of Libya, the Tuareg notables and elders announced their support for the Al-Wefaq government, stressing the need to unify the state's security institutions.

In a statement to them, the Elders and notables demanded General Ali Kanna, the commander of the military zone in Sebha, which is part of the Al-Wefaq government, to take control of matters in the south.

Bodies and Mines
Meanwhile, dozens of bodies were found in Tarhuna Public Hospital in Tarhuna, which were decomposed by several days in closed rooms without ventilation.

Sources said to the island that some of the bodies of women and gunmen from the Tariq bin Ziyad battalion of the Haftar forces, and the sources added that these gunmen died in clashes with the fighting hubs in Tarhuna and south of Tripoli.

The sources also said that a number of Tarhuna's family gathered in front of the hospital, hoping to know the fate of their missing children.

For its part, the anti-terrorist force affiliated with the Al-Wefaq government announced that it had found a Russian mine stockpile and quantities of highly explosive TNT, as well as a landing pad for military aircraft, at Tarhuna.

The Interior Ministry of Al-Wefaq called on the citizens not to return to their homes in areas south of Tripoli because of the presence of mines laid by Haftar forces inside the houses, and these mines during the past few days have killed civilians and individuals specialized in removing mines and explosives.

The return of oil
Meanwhile, the National Oil Corporation announced today the lifting of the force majeure situation it had announced about four months ago in the Sharara and Elephant fields south of the country when Hifter's forces closed them.

It said in a statement that it had resumed production at the Elephant Field at an initial level of 12 thousand barrels per day, noting that it would return to its full capacity of 70 thousand barrels per day within 14 days.

The National Corporation announced the resumption of production in the Sharara field, which produces 300 thousand barrels per day.