Arab League emergency meeting on Libya to be held Monday: Secretariat

CAIRO – 21 June 2020: The General Secretariat of the League of Arab States said an emergency meeting on Libya on the level of Arab foreign ministers will be held on Monday (June 22) via video, at the request of Egypt.

This comes a day after Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi checked on the forces in Egypt’s Western Military Zone and said that the Air Force, the Special Forces, and the Border Guards have been securing 1,200 kilometers of borders with Libya for seven years, and accomplishing missions that have not been disclosed. Sisi urged them to "be ready to accomplish any mission whether here within our borders or - if needed – beyond our borders."



The Secretariat 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 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, 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.