Egypt’s Sisi hosts Libyan militia leader in renewed stability effort
The Egyptian president has hosted Libyan leader Khalifa Haftar in Cairo for the first time in three years, signaling a renewed focus on stability.
Haftar last visited Sisi in 2021, only months before the elections were officially delayed “due to disagreements over their legal framework”, reported by The New Arab on January 19th.
Sisi’s office has said the talks reinforced Egypt’s commitment to “ensuring the unity and cohesion of Libya’s national institutions” and “urged coordination between all Libyan parties to crystallize a comprehensive political roadmap”, according to The New Arab.
He also said “all foreign forces and mercenaries must be expelled from Libyan territory”.
Libya has struggled to recover from the 2011 uprising that saw the collapse of the forty-year rule of Muammar Gadhafi and the rise in rival militias competing for political control in the country.
Internationally, the United Nations have formally recognized the government of Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah in Tripoli rather than Haftar’s rival authority in the east.
The visit marks Egypt’s renewed efforts for stability with the armed forces sitting on their western border.
However, Haftar and Sisi differ on their approaches to regional conflicts such as the civil war in Sudan. Sisi supports the Sudanese military whereas Haftar is believed to support the Rapid Support Forces, a rival Rwandan-backed militia.
It appears that Cairo is seeking to stabilize its borders and protect itself from the instability occurring on all sides.
They have implemented harsh regulations on Syrian migrants and refugees as well as supporting the Sudanese government in the south and Haftar on the western border.
The New Arab