Libya, an arm wrestling between Egypt and Turkey
2020-06-21T15:12:26.076Z
Tripoli condemns the Egyptian threat to intervene in Libya with its army. "We strongly reject Al Sisi's announcement - said Mohamed Amary Zayed, of the presidential Council of the Libyan national agreement government, recognized by the international community - and we consider it a prolongation of the war against the Libyan people, an intervention in its internal affairs , a serious threat to Libyan and North African security, as well as a violation of international treaties. '' '' Libya is a sovereign country, no foreign party will have any authority over our people and our resources, '' added Zayed, who defends his government's right "to establish state sovereignty over all Libyan territory" . Yesterday, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi, speaking in the military base of Sidi Barrani, 95 km from the Libyan border, told his army to prepare for any mission if the forces of the National Agreement Government will cross what is called "the red line that connects Al Jufra to Sirte ". Egypt will intervene alongside the local tribes ", explained Al Sisi," to guarantee the country's security and stability ". Cairo's warning, in fact, rather than in Tripoli seems to be addressed to the Turkish opponent, the real director of Tripoli's war operations. In fact, it arrived immediately after Ankara, through Erdogan's spokesman, Ibrahim Kalim, yesterday made the ceasefire conditional on the withdrawal of Haftar from Sirte and Al Jufra, strategic centers on which the GNA counter-offensive ran aground. Exactly the "red line" beyond which Cairo, who has always been a supporter of Haftar, feels authorized to intervene, to prevent Turkish militiamen, who he considers jihadists and terrorists, from approaching the Libyan-Egyptian border. "We have no expansionist aims - Al Sisi said - we will only advance alongside the Libyan people and immediately leave the mission". We have the strongest armed force in the region, Al Sisi said. The Egyptian army is the twelfth in the world: it has modern armaments and has almost one million personnel. In practice, this is the message of Cairo, peace must be treated on the positions that the two opponents control at this moment. And the reason is clear, given that Sirte is a crucial hub for the country's oil industry. Yesterday Tripoli had rejected the invitation to the emergency meeting convened next week by the Arab League, which had been severely critical for months about the "undue" Turkish intervention in Libya and Syria. "Egypt asked for it - explains GNA's foreign minister, Mohamed Siala - and only risks accentuating the rifts". Two weeks ago, the GNA also refused the Cairo declaration, accepted instead by Haftar, with which Al Sisi proposed the ceasefire from 6 June and immediately negotiations to implement the peace agreements reached in Skhirat in 2016, under UN aegis. Also yesterday, Al Serraji met with Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, who in the previous days had received the president of Tobruk's parliament, Aquila Saleh, in an attempt to defuse a scenario that threatens the stability of the whole of North Africa. Algeria wants a diplomatic solution to the crisis, but like the other Arab countries it continues to say it is against "any foreign military intervention". The rope is also very tight between Turkey and France. Paris wanted an NATO investigation for the clash that was near the Libyan coast between its own frigate and three Turkish military units that protected a suspect cargo. Yesterday, Erdogan's spokesman accused the French of "compromising the security of NATO, the Mediterranean and North Africa by supporting Khalifa Haftar, the illegitimate warlord. We instead support a legitimate government. "
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by Leonardo Sgura 21 June 2020 Tripoli condemns the Egyptian threat to intervene with its army in Libya. "We strongly reject Al Sisi's announcement - said Mohamed Amary Zayed, of the presidential Council of the Libyan national agreement government, recognized by the international community - and we consider it a prolongation of the war against the Libyan people, an intervention in its internal affairs , a serious threat to Libyan and North African security, as well as a violation of international treaties. '' '' Libya is a sovereign country, no foreign party will have any authority over our people and our resources, '' added Zayed, who defends his government's right "to establish state sovereignty over all Libyan territory" . Yesterday, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi, speaking in the military base of Sidi Barrani, 95 km from the Libyan border, told his army to prepare for any mission if the forces of the National Agreement Government will cross what is called "the red line that connects Al Jufra to Sirte ". Egypt will intervene alongside the local tribes ", explained Al Sisi," to guarantee the country's security and stability ". Cairo's warning, in fact, rather than in Tripoli seems to be addressed to the Turkish opponent, the real director of Tripoli's war operations. In fact, it arrived immediately after Ankara, through Erdogan's spokesman, Ibrahim Kalim, yesterday made the ceasefire conditional on the withdrawal of Haftar from Sirte and Al Jufra, strategic centers on which the GNA counter-offensive ran aground. Exactly the "red line" beyond which Cairo, who has always been a supporter of Haftar, feels authorized to intervene, to prevent Turkish militiamen, who he considers jihadists and terrorists, from approaching the Libyan-Egyptian border. "We have no expansionist aims - Al Sisi said - we will only advance alongside the Libyan people and immediately leave the mission". We have the strongest armed force in the region, Al Sisi said. The Egyptian army is the twelfth in the world: it has modern armaments and has almost one million personnel. In practice, this is the message of Cairo, peace must be treated on the positions that the two opponents control at this moment. And the reason is clear, given that Sirte is a crucial hub for the country's oil industry. Yesterday Tripoli had rejected the invitation to the emergency meeting convened next week by the Arab League, which had been severely critical for months about the "undue" Turkish intervention in Libya and Syria. "Egypt asked for it - explains GNA's foreign minister, Mohamed Siala - and only risks accentuating the rifts". Two weeks ago, the GNA also refused the Cairo declaration, accepted instead by Haftar, with which Al Sisi proposed the ceasefire from 6 June and immediately negotiations to implement the peace agreements reached in Skhirat in 2016, under UN aegis. Also yesterday, Al Serraji met with Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, who in the previous days had received the president of Tobruk's parliament, Aquila Saleh, in an attempt to defuse a scenario that threatens the stability of the whole of North Africa. Algeria wants a diplomatic solution to the crisis, but like the other Arab countries it continues to say it is against "any foreign military intervention". The rope is also very tight between Turkey and France. Paris wanted an investigation Born for the clash that was near the Libyan coast between its own frigate and three Turkish military units that protected a suspect cargo. Yesterday, Erdogan's spokesman accused the French of "compromising the security of NATO, the Mediterranean and North Africa by supporting Khalifa Haftar, the illegitimate warlord. We instead support a legitimate government. "
