Sisi calls for support for Egypt’s efforts to achieve political settlement in Libya

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi yesterday called on Arab leaders attending the Arab League Summit in Algiers to support his country’s efforts to find a political settlement in Libya that would lead to presidential and parliamentary elections, Anadolu news agency reported.

“I wish to share with you Egypt’s desire to support our endeavours in Libya to reach a political settlement as soon as possible, under a purely Libyan leadership without external dictates, which would lead to the holding of presidential and parliamentary elections simultaneously,” Al-Sisi said.

Earlier, Egypt said Al-Sisi had met with his Algerian counterpart Abdelmadjid Tebboune and the two leaders have agreed “on the importance of holding the Libyan elections as soon as possible.”

However, observers’ said Libya’s two neighbours have differences on the Libyan file.

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Since March, Libya has been witnessing a conflict between the internationally recognised Government of National Unity headed by Abdel Hamid Al-Dabeibeh and Fathi Bashagha, assigned by the east-based House of Representatives in Tobruk.

Al-Dabeibeh refuses to hand over power except to a government formed by a new elected parliament.

The United Nations has been working to achieve consensus in Libya on a constitutional basis according to which parliamentary and presidential elections will be held to transfer power and end years of armed conflicts in the oil-rich country.

Meanwhile, in his speech, El- Sisi also called on Arab countries to urge Ethiopia to return to negotiations and conclude an agreement on the Renaissance Dam.

El- Sisi has also called on the attendees to participate in the upcoming UN Climate Summit, which will start next week in the Egyptian city of Sharm el-Sheikh.