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LIBYA-DIPLOMACY-EGYPT-FRANCE
Macron pushes Libya ceasefire with Egypt leader
PARIS, Aug 5, 2019 (BSS/AFP) – France’s President Emmanuel Macron spoke
with Egyptian leader Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on Sunday about the situation in
Libya calling for a ceasefire “very soon” between the warring sides, the
French presidency said.
Macron and Sisi discussed Libya “with the aim of backing the United
Nations’ plan for a ceasefire very soon and a renewed dialogue” between
Libya’s Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj and strongman Khalifa Haftar, the
presidency said.
UN envoy Ghassan Salame has proposed a ceasefire for the Muslim holiday of
Eid al-Adha, which starts around August 11, and has called for relaunching
negotiations.
Nearly 1,100 people have been reported killed since Haftar, based in
eastern Libya, launched an offensive against the capital Tripoli on April 4.
Paris has been seeking to position itself as a mediator in the Libyan
crisis, fearing its destabilising effects on the Sahel region of Africa.
Egypt, a key backer of Haftar, is concerned about the conflict as it has a
long border with Libya.
The European Union on Friday also called for Libya’s warring sides to
establish a permanent truce and return to UN-led talks to prepare for quick
elections.
BSS/AFP/MSY/0943 hrs