'Libyan elections wouldn't be held, if it weren't for red line set by Egypt': presidency spox

CAIRO – 11 November 2021: Spokesperson of the Egyptian Presidency Bassam Rady told press Thursday in Paris that Libya is finally ending the transitional period that began in 2011 by holding elections in December, and that is the outcome of setting in June 2020 a red line for western militias not to cross by President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi.    

President Sisi had headed to France earlier Thursday to take part in the conference scheduled for Friday on Libya.

The presidential spokesperson noted that the Libyan transitional period consisted of many phases. The first of which was the 2014 Skhirat Agreement, followed by Berlin Conference in January 2020 and Cairo Declaration in June 2020.

On June 20, 2020, President Sisi warned western militias against attempting to enter the cities of Sirte and Al Jufrah lying in central Libya saying those were a redline that if crossed, Egyptian military intervention would be legitimate.

The militias include mercenaries of different nationalities, but mainly Syrians brought by Turkey, which also has deployed officers to command such armed groups.