The head of the Supreme Council of State in Libya, Khaled al-Mashri, expressed his rejection of what was stated in the statements of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi regarding direct intervention in Libya, and said it was a "violation of sovereignty" and "blatant interference" in the Libyan matter.
The Egyptian President had said that any direct intervention of Egypt in Libya has now acquired international legitimacy, either for self-defense or based on the sole legitimate authority elected in Libya, which is the House of Representatives (in Tobruk).
"Our goals will be to protect the western borders and quickly support the restoration of security and stability on the Libyan scene, as it is part of the Egyptian national security," Sisi added.
He also affirmed that "Sirte and Al-Jafra crossed a red line for Egypt," and that he would defend Libya except its sons, expressing Egypt's readiness "to arm and train the tribesmen (the Libyan)."
declaration of war
The spokesman for the Sirte and Al-Jafra Operations Room, Brigadier Abdul Hadi Dara, also considered that Sisi’s statements were a “blatant interference and a clear declaration of war against Libya,” stressing that the forces of the internationally recognized government of Al-Wefaq are determined to liberate the entire region from the forces of retired Major General Khalifa Hifter and his supporters.
Member of the Presidential Council of the Al-Wefaq government, Mohamed Ammari Zayed, stressed that "there are no red lines within the borders and lands of Libya," rejecting what he described as "an attempt to divide the people and the Libyan geography."
"We strongly reject what was mentioned in Al-Sisi's speech, and we consider it a continuation of the war against the Libyan people and interference in its affairs ... The Al-Jafra is a red line," said Amari Zayed - in a statement posted on Facebook in response to the Egyptian president's statements.
"Libya is a sovereign state with a legitimate government, which is the government of national reconciliation, and no foreign party will have authority over its people, resources and capabilities, or it will undermine its unity and independence," he added.
Diplomatic mobility
These reactions to Al-Sisi's statements coincide with a continuous diplomatic mobility to resolve the Libyan crisis and try to search for a political solution to it, as Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Turkey gave birth to Gawishoglu - in a phone call today - to settle the Libyan crisis.
A statement of the Russian Foreign Ministry said that the contact came on the initiative of the Turkish side and focused on the need to create conditions for a ceasefire and start the process of political settlement based on the decision of the UN Security Council in this regard and the outputs of the Berlin Conference.
Gawishoglu said - during a press conference in Antalya today - that retired Major General Khalifa Hifter should not have any role in the future management of the Libyan state, considering that the political solution is the only way out of the crisis.
He added that Hifter "did not listen to the appeals of calm, on the contrary, he increased his aggression, and therefore his destiny of defeat ... A coup like him should not have a role in the future of Libya."
Al-Sarraj, Algeria
On the other hand, the President of the Libyan Presidential Council, Fayez al-Sarraj, and the head of the Supreme State Council, Khaled al-Mashri, along with an accompanying delegation, began an official visit to Algeria at the invitation of its President Abdel Majid Tabboun.
Sources in the Al-Wefaq government told Al-Jazeera that the purpose of the visit is to consult with the Algerian side on developments in the Libyan arena, and to discuss ways to solve the crisis.
The sources added that the response of the Al-Wefaq government to the President’s call, Tabun, stems from the importance of the role played by the Algerian authorities in bringing the views of the Libyan parties closer.
Algeria had earlier received the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tobruk Aqila Saleh, very much.