Egypt's head of General Intelligence stresses importance of renouncing differences between Libyan parties

CAIRO -10 October 2020: Egypt's Head of General IntelligenceService (GIS) Abbas Kamel stressed on Sunday the importance of renouncing differences between the Libyan parties, and UN envoy to Libya Stephanie Williams praised the Egyptian efforts to host the constitutional track in Cairo.

This came during the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum, which was launched in Cairo under the auspices of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) to hold consultations between the delegations of the Libyan Parliament and the High Council of State on constitutional issues. The forum will run from October 11-13 and is hosted by the Egyptian government.

The head of the National Committee on Libyan Affairs chaired the constitutional meeting hosted by Cairo. The two delegations discussed legal and constitutional options that could be brought to the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum to facilitate deliberations on moving forward on constitutional arrangements.

Kamel stressed the importance of a Libyan / Libyan political solution, away from any external interference, stressing the importance of rejecting differences between the Libyan parties.

In July, the Egyptian House of Representatives has authorized President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi to “take necessary measures” to protect national security, giving a green light for the president to send troops to Libya.

This came in a closed session on protecting the Egyptian and Libyan national security against terror threats. The session was attended only by the Parliament members and the general secretariat of the House.

A week earlier, Sisi said at a meeting with Libyan tribal chiefs in Egypt that any Egyptian military intervention in Libya may only materialize upon a request by the Libyan people and permission from the Egyptian House.

According to Article 152 of the Egyptian constitution, the state has to seek the Parliament’s approval before declaring war or sending its forces in combat missions.

The members attending the session are not authorized to disclose any details of the discussion inside this secret meeting.

During his meeting with the tribal chiefs on July 16, Sisi said Egypt has always stood by a peaceful solution in Libya through encouraging negotiations between Libyan factions. However, it will not stand idly as it watches activities that threaten Egypt’s national security.

“Egypt has the strongest Army in the region and Africa,” he said, adding that it is, however, wise and does not assail or invade other territories.

He noted that in case the Egyptian forces enter Libya, they will be led by tribal leaders carrying the Libyan flag. Sisi promised that Egypt will intervene "only at the Libyans' request and withdraw upon their order.”

Earlier, Egypt’s President Sisi met with LAAF head, Commander KhalifaHaftar, and Libyan Parliamentary Speaker AguilaSalehin Cairo, to discuss efforts to resolve the Libyan crisis. Both Libyan officials emphasized that any initiative to solve the crisis in the war-torn country has to include “the removal of Turkish-backed mercenaries and militias”.

It is worth mentioning that GNA Head Fayez al-Sarraj announced earlier in September his intention to resign by the end of October.

In late August, both Saleh and Sarraj announced in two separate statements that they had agreed on a Libya-wide ceasefire.

Libya has been marred in violence between competing forces, militias and extremists since the toppling and killing of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. The conflict now pits the Tripoli-based Government of National Accord (GNA) against the Libyan National Army (LNA), led by Field Marshal KhalifaHaftar, for control of the country.