Egypt calls for Arab League emergency meeting on Libya

CAIRO – 19 June 2020: The General Secretariat of the League of Arab States on Friday said it received a request from the Egyptian side to hold an emergency meeting to discuss the situation in Libya, two weeks after the Egyptian president called for a ceasefire in the war-torn country.

Hossam Zaki, the Assistant Secretary General of the League of Arab, said the meeting will be held via video on the level of foreign ministers.

Zaki said that the secretariat is coordinating with Oman, the current chair of the Council of the Arab League, to set a date for the meeting, adding that it will expectedly take place next week.

Earlier in June, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El Sisi announced Cairo's plan for a ceasefire in Libya, beginning June 8, after a tripartite meeting with the commander of the Libyan National Army (LNA) Khalifa Haftar and Speaker of Libyan Parliament Aguila Saleh.

Sisi said that the political initiative, also known as the “Cairo Declaration”, would pave the way for a return to normal life in Libya.

President Sisi warned against using military tactics to resolve the crisis.

A political solution is the only way to resolve the crisis in Libya, Sisi said, adding that Libya's security is a pillar for Egypt's security.

All Libyan parties have been asked to partake in the ceasefire, al-Sisi said, adding that LNA Chief Haftar and the eastern parliament head Aguila Saleh are committed to protecting the Libyan people’s best interests.

Under the guidelines of the ceasefire, all foreign fighters must withdraw from Libya, he added.