Egypt’s parliament authorized the deployment of troops outside the country after the president threatened military action against Turkey-backed forces in neighboring Libya.
Parliament unanimously approved “the deployment of members of the Egyptian armed forces on combat missions outside Egypt’s borders to defend Egyptian national security … against armed criminal militias and foreign terrorist elements,” it said in a statement.
The deployment would be on a “western front”, a likely reference to neighboring Libya. The move could lead Egypt and Turkey, which support rival parties in Libya’s chaotic power war, to direct confrontation.
Egypt’s House of Representatives, packed with supporters of President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, approved the plan after a closed-door session on Monday.
|
Libyan government promises response after base was hit by ‘foreign air force’ |
Stephanie Williams, acting head of the UN support mission in Libya, called on Monday for an “immediate ceasefire … to avoid the 125,000 civilians who remain in danger and to end flagrant violations of the arms embargo from the ONU”.
His comments came after his meeting on Sunday with the president of neighboring Algeria, Abdelmadjid Tebboune.
‘Putschist Haftar’
Meanwhile, Turkey demanded an “immediate” end to support for rebel commander Khalifa Haftar in Libya after trilateral talks in Ankara between Libyans, Turks and Maltese officials on Monday.
“It is essential that any kind of aid and support given to the coup leader Haftar, which prohibits guaranteeing the peace, tranquility, security and territorial integrity of Libya, end immediately,” said Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar.
Haftar supporters should “stop supporting an unrealistic and incorrect project,” said Interior Accord (GNA) Interior Minister Fathi Bashaga, recognized by the UN.
Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Russia have been backing Haftar’s eastern forces in the conflict, while Turkey supports the GNA.
An Egyptian intervention would further destabilize oil-rich Libya.
Egypt’s president warned in June that any attack on Sirte or al-Jufra’s internal air base would cause Cairo to intervene militarily, allegedly to protect its western border with Libya.
The GNA denounced Egypt’s threat of military intervention in the North African nation, calling it a “declaration of war”.
Regional power war
Libya was thrown into chaos when a 2011 NATO-backed uprising toppled lifelong leader Muammar Gaddafi, who was later assassinated.
The country is now divided between a government in the east, allied with Haftar, and one in Tripoli, in the west, recognized by the United Nations.
The conflict has turned into a regional power war fueled by foreign powers pouring arms and mercenaries into the country.
The United States is increasingly concerned about Moscow’s growing influence in Libya, where hundreds of Russian mercenaries backed a failed attempt by Haftar’s forces to capture Tripoli.
In a call Monday with United States President Donald Trump, el-Sisi emphasized Egypt’s goal to “prevent further deterioration of security in Libya,” according to a statement from the Egyptian presidential spokesman. He said the two leaders agreed to maintain a ceasefire and avoid a military escalation in Libya.
President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, center, Commander Khalifa Haftar, right, and Libyan Parliament Speaker Aguila Saleh arrive for a press conference in the capital Cairo. [File: Egyptian Presidency/AFP]
The Egyptian state newspaper Al-Ahram reported on Sunday that the vote in parliament was intended to order el-Sisi “to intervene militarily in Libya to help defend the western neighbor against Turkish aggression.”
Last week, el-Sisi received dozens of tribal leaders loyal to Haftar in Cairo, where he repeated that Egypt “will not stand idly by against movements that pose a direct threat to security.”
The eastern Libyan-based parliament supporting Haftar also urged el-Sisi to send troops.
The GNA Advantage
Haftar’s self-styled Libyan National Army (LNA) launched an offensive to remove Tripoli from the GNA in April last year, but the campaign stalled after reaching the outskirts of the Libyan capital.
The LNA suffered a blow last month when GNA forces, with Turkish air and logistical support, rejected it and gained the upper hand in the fight.
Tripoli forces seized the capital’s airport, all the main entry and exit points of the city and a number of key cities in the region. GNA troops advanced eastward promising to retake Sirte as well, which Haftar captured earlier this year.
Taking the strategic city would open the door for Turkey-backed forces to advance further east and potentially seize vital oil facilities, terminals and fields now under Haftar’s control.
After the GNA signed security and maritime agreements with Turkey last year, Ankara’s military support, including drones, helped him re-impose control over north-western Libya.
.
