https://arab.news/zvdqm
- The two sides reviewed ways of reaching a political settlement within the framework of the Berlin Summit and the Cairo Declaration in an effort to combat terrorism, extremist armed militias and external interference
- The initiative, which was welcomed by various foreign and Arab countries, mandates an intra-Libyan resolution as a basis for resolving the country鈥檚 conflict
CAIRO: Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi on Saturday received a phone call from South Africa President Cyril Ramaphosa in which they exchanged views regarding the latest developments in Libya.
A statement from the Egyptian president鈥檚 office stressed that the two sides reviewed ways of reaching a political settlement within the framework of the Berlin Summit and the Cairo Declaration in an effort to combat terrorism, extremist armed militias and external interference that threatens regional security and stability.
The Cairo Declaration was a recent joint political initiative announced by El-Sisi, the commander of the Libyan National Army, Khalifa Haftar, and the speaker of the Libyan Parliament, Aguila Saleh, to resolve the cuntry鈥檚 crisis.
The initiative, which was welcomed by various foreign and Arab countries, mandates an intra-Libyan resolution as a basis for resolving the country鈥檚 conflict.
Forces loyal to Libya鈥檚 Government of National Accord (GNA), who are supported by Turkey, are reportedly planning to launch an attack on Libya鈥檚 port city of Sirte and also in Al-Jufra, which El-Sisi recently described as 鈥渞ed lines鈥� in relation to Egypt鈥檚 security.
In another development, footage shared on social media showed the moment French intellectual Bernard-Henri Levy arrived in the Libyan city of Misrata in an official motorcade.
The visit sparked an angry reaction and widespread controversy in Libyan political circles on all sides. The Presidential Council of the GNA denied having knowledge of Levy鈥檚 visit to the areas under its control.
鈥淭he council has no relationship or knowledge of the visit and did not coordinate it with him,鈥� Fayez Al-Sarraj, head of the council, said.
The statement indicated that the council took measures to investigate the visit and who was behind it, and that it had issued strict instructions to all agencies, departments and ports to prevent any future violations.
A video clip showed the moment Levy鈥檚 motorcade escaped from Tarhuna after he was arrested and expelled from it, and headed to the city of Al-Khums.
Some Arab politicians and activists call Levy, the 鈥淕odfather of the Arab Spring,鈥� and accuse him of engineering the French military intervention in Libya and of contributing to the overthrow of former Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi.
鈥淭he Zionist Bernard Levy, the godfather of the Hebrew spring, arrived in Misrata where a high-level delegation from the militia government (the government of reconciliation) met him, and where visits will be organized for him to Al-Khums, Tarhuna and Tripoli, and where a number of senior officials in the militia government meet. Levy has a dangerous role,鈥� Egyptian MP Mustafa Bakry said via his official Twitter account.
Levy had appeared in Libya in 2011 alongside rebel leaders against Gaddafi. He consulted with then French President Nicolas Sarkozy before the military intervention in Libya, and was even credited with helping persuade Sarkozy to play a major role in overthrowing the former Libyan regime.
Political analyst on Libyan affairs Abdel-Basset Hamel said that Levy鈥檚 visit to Tarhuna and Misrata 鈥渋s a scandal by all accounts,鈥� noting that Levy arrived at Tarhuna at the invitation of the minister of interior of the Al-Sarraj government to provide him with support.
Hamel added that Levy had close ties to the Turkish Foreign Ministry, and that Al-Sarraj presented Libya 鈥渙n a plate of gold to Turkey,鈥� saying that (Turkish President Recep Tayyip) Erdogan was 鈥渢rying to restore the glories of the Ottoman Empire through the Libyan gate. The new Ottomans have returned to Tripoli and are exploiting the Syrian mercenaries looking for dollars.鈥�
Hamel said there were currently thousands of militiamen and mercenaries of various nationalities in Libya, including Egyptians.