Egypt, Tunisia and Algeria meet to discuss Libyan crisis

Foreign ministers of Egypt, Algeria and Tunisia met today in the Egyptian capital of Cairo to discuss the current situation in Libya and ways to find a solution for the three-year long worsening crisis.

Local media sources reported that the three ministers had attended the meeting with different views and objectives, raising fears that the meeting would join a list of two previous similar meetings held this year which have not succeeded in establishing a functional unity government in Libya.

Out of the meeting, the Algerian minister Abdelkader Messahel was reported to have aimed to reach a settlement for the Libyan crisis, the Tunisian minister Khemaies Jhinaoui aimed to discuss the next steps to activate the Tunisian President Beji Ceid Essebsi’s initiative on Libya, and the Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shoukry seemed to support Libya’s Khalifa Haftar, according to media sources.

The tripartite meeting discussed the latest developments on Libya and examined the ways of supporting the efforts aimed at regaining stability and security in Libya.

According to an official Tunisian source, the meeting discussed ways to activate Essebsi’s comprehensive initiative on the Libyan crisis.

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The meeting also discussed the results of the dialogue sessions between the Libyan parties hosted by Tunisia last October, under the auspices of the UN envoy to Libya Ghassan Salamah, which had examined the possible amendments to the 2015 Skhirat Agreement.

The ministers also hailed the UN’s efforts to resolve the crisis.

The three diplomats met previously twice over Libya following Tunisia’s announcement of a comprehensive political settlement in Libya on 20 February. The first meeting was held in Algeria on 5 and 6 June, while the other was held in September on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.

Following the 2011 uprising the country fell into civil war with two rival governments emerging, one in the western city of Tripoli and another in the eastern city of Tobruk.

The Tobruk government, which held the loyalty of General Khalifa Haftar, was recognized by much of the international community as legitimate.

Both governments have been battling Islamist militant factions, including fighters from the Islamic State group, which have thrived since the overthrow and killing of former Libyan President Muammar Gaddafi.