clear

Creating new perspectives since 2009

Egypt's intelligence chief 'discreetly' visits Libya

June 18, 2021 at 3:40 pm

Egyptian intelligence chief, Abbas Kamel on 20 January 2018 [KHALED DESOUKI/AFP/Getty Images]

Egyptian intelligence chief, Abbas Kamel, yesterday arrived in the Libyan capital of Tripoli on an unannounced visit, according to official Libyan sources.

Sources told Anadolu Agency that Kamel was due to meet his Libyan counterpart, Hussein Al-Ayeb, adding that the visit aimed “to boost mutual cooperation and support the political process and stability in Libya.”

The sources did not provide details about how long Kamel will stay in Libya.

In April, the Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly, along with 11 of his ministers, also visited Tripoli, with the aim to enhance cooperation between the two countries in various fields.

Following a recent political breakthrough, on 15 March, Libya assumed a new transitional authority, comprising a unity government and a presidential council, which will lead the country until the elections slated on 24 December.

For years, the North Africa country has been mired in a power struggle between warring rival factions in the east, led by commander Khalifa Haftar and his Libyan National Army (LNA), and west, led by the internationally-recognised Government of National Accord (GNA), following the overthrow of the late dictator Muammar Gadaffi in 2011.

READ: Erdogan calls for repairing ties with Egypt