Fierce clashes erupted Wednesday in the Libyan capital Tripoli, expanding to strategic military zones, only hours before the launch of the third round of talks in Geneva among Libya’s rivals.
Libyan National Army (LNA) commander Khalifa Haftar has embarked on a visit to Cairo to hold talks with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and defense officials, a source close to Haftar told Reuters.
This is his first visit this year and the fifth since his operation to ‘liberate’ Tripoli on April 4 of last year.
His trip to Cairo comes amid an expected visit by head of Libya's Government of National Accord (GNA) Fayez al-Sarraj to Ankara for talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Neither the Egyptian president nor Haftar’s office have announced the visit.
However, Egyptian and Libyan sources told Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper that Haftar’s talks in Cairo focus on foreign meddling in the Libyan crisis, mainly political and military support by Qatar and Turkey to the GNA.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry and UAE Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan welcomed the UN’s announcement that the LNA and the GNA have agreed to resume ceasefire talks.
Further, Shoukry and his Italian counterpart, Luigi Di Maio, held a video call on Wednesday on the latest developments in the Libyan crisis.
The two sides stressed the importance of a comprehensive political settlement to the Libyan war.
They also rejected foreign interference in Libya, whilst lending support to counterterrorism efforts in the North African nation.
