Arab League envoy to visit Libya for talks with rival factions

Karem Yehia, Tunis , Thursday 16 Feb 2017

League of Arab states
File photo: Arab League representatives and Arab foreign ministers' deputies (Reuters)

The special envoy to Libya appointed by the Arab League Salah Al-Din Al-Jamali told Al-Ahram on Wednesday that he will visit the war-torn country soon for talks with the Libya’s various political rivals.

“I will visit several cities including Tripoli, Benghazi and Tobruk to support the Arab effort to reach a political solution in Libya,” Al-Jamali told Al-Ahram, adding that coordination between Libya’s neighbours and other Arab countries should contribute to achieving peace in the country.

The Tunisian ambassador Al-Jamali was appointed by the Arab League as its special envoy to Libya in November.

Al-Jamali welcomed and praised Egyptian efforts to bridge the gap between the different positions of Libyan factions during meetings held earlier this week in Cairo.

“Hopefully the pressure by Egypt, Algeria and Tunisia on the brothers in Libya will result in a political solution to end the conflict, as a military solution is not an option,” Al-Jamali said.

Earlier this week, Cairo witnessed a new round of talks between Libyan political rivals with Egyptian officials above them the president and the Egyptian chief of staff.

Talks were held on Monday and Tuesday between the chairman of the Libyan Presidential Council Fayaz Al-Sarraj, who is based in the capital Tripoli in the west of the country and is recognised by the UN as the country's president, and Field Marshall Khalifa Haftar and Parliament Speaker Aguila Saleh, who both represent the House of Representatives in eastern Libya's Tobruk.

Over the past months, Cairo has held meetings with different Libyan political factions, where Egypt has stressed the need for a political consensus to end the crisis in the country.

In December, Egyptian officials and representatives from multiple Libyan factions issued a declaration of principles and five proposed amendments to the Skhirat agreement during a meeting in Cairo.

The December conference concluded by underscoring four main principles to be respected in Libya's transition: the preservation of a united Libyan territory, support for national institutions, non-interference by foreign bodies, and the maintaining of a civil state.

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