Egypt calls for int’l parties to respect Libyan people’s will, not bypass national institutions

CAIRO – 28 July 2023: Egypt has called for international institutions to respect the will of the Libyan people and not to take any measures that bypass the national institutions.

“This is in order to avoid complicating the situation and comes within the keenness to ensure Libya’s stability and sovereignty and achieve the aspirations of the brotherly Libyan people,” the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement on Friday.

On Thursday, the UN warned against "unilateral initiatives" after the eastern-based House of Representatives parliament and the Tripoli-based High State Council proposed creating a new interim government to pave the way for long-awaited elections.

“Egypt stresses the pivotal role of the House of Representatives and the High State Council in accordance with their authorities stipulated by the Skhirat Agreement in order to fulfill all the required frameworks to hold presidential and parliamentary elections simultaneously in Libya as soon as possible,” the ministry said.

Egypt called on all international parties to adhere to these “irreplaceable foundations and determinants and respect the will of the Libyan people and the Libyan ownership of the settlement.”

Egypt stressed the need to respect the role of the Libyan institutions while performing their duties “without any external dictates and interference by any party.”

In June, Aguila Saleh, Speaker of the Libyan House of Representatives, said the proposed interim government will run the presidential elections and it is not logical to have two divided governments in the country.

Despite differences between them, the House of Representatives and the High State Council both oppose the Government of National Unity under Prime Minister Abdulhamid Al-Dbeibah in Tripoli.

In 2022, the House of Representatives decided to appoint a new government, which triggered a day-long heavy fighting in Tripoli as the new government attempted to enter the capital.

In its recent statement, the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) warned against “unilateral actions, like similar attempts seen in the past, could inflict serious negative consequences for Libya and trigger further instability and violence.”