Fayez Al-Sarraj, Algerian president discuss resumption of the political process in Libya

22 Juin 2020

Tripoli, Libya, June 22 (Infosplusgabon) - Algerian President Abdelmajid Tabboune on Saturday in Algiers granted an audience to the President of the Presidential Council in Libya, Fayez Al-Sarraj, as part of the mediation initiative undertaken by Algeria to bring together the Libyan belligerents with a view to resuming the political process in that north African country.

During their meeting, the Algerian president declared "Algeria's will to find a political solution to the Libyan crisis, based on respect for the will of the Libyan people, the guarantee of its territorial integrity and national sovereignty, as well as the elimination of foreign military intervention", according to a press release published by the Algerian presidency.

It recalled that President Tabboune received the President of the House of Representatives (Parliament) in Libya, Aguila Saleh, on June 13, reiterating the firm position of his country for dialogue between the "Libyan brothers in order to reach a political solution".

Tabboune added that "a political solution is the only way to guarantee the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Libyan state, and not foreign military intervention".

Since January 2020, before the Berlin Conference on Libya, Algeria has declared its intention to mediate in the Libyan crisis by initiating contacts with the tribes and offering to host a National Reconciliation Conference in Libya, which was adopted by the high level Committee of the African Union on Libya. That offer to hold the meeting in Libya was as stakeholders preferred to hold it in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, the seat of the continental organization.

But the coronavirus crisis and the ensuing military escalation in Libya dampened the Algerian interest.

Faced with the mixed reception reserved for the Cairo Declaration for a solution to the crisis in Libya, in particular the refusal of the government of national accord and of Turkey, Algeria began to reactivate its mediation role, encouraged by the continuous dead end, as well as new military developments on the ground in the conflict in Libya.

Meanwhile, Marshal Haftar's camp suffered a military defeat and failed in its plan to take control of Tripoli after 15 months of a bloody armed offensive.

FIN/ INFOSPLUSGABON/ZTR/GABON2020

© Copyright  Infosplusgabon