Saturday, June 6, after new discussions on Libya, egyptian president Abdel Fattah al-Sissi, has presented an “initiative” so-called Cairo which calls for the “respect of international efforts, and proposes a cease-fire from 6 hours (4 hrs GMT) on Monday, 8 June 2020,” said the head of the egyptian State during a press conference. Present at his side, the marshal Haftar, the strong man of the East of libya. The latter agreed to this initiative at a time when his forces suffered a series of setbacks in the battle. The egyptian president has also called for international support to its initiative and called on the united Nations to convene negotiations between competing authorities in the west and the east of the country.
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What’s in the text of the “Cairo Declaration”
The initiative, known as the ” Cairo Declaration “, also calls for the withdrawal of “foreign mercenaries across the libyan territory,” added Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. It also calls for a ” dismantling of the militias and the surrender of weapons to the libyan national Army [led by general Khalifa Haftar, editor’s NOTE] will be able to fulfil his responsibilities of military and security “.
The egyptian president has also said that the initiative paved the way for the formation of a presidential council elected in Libya and prevented the “militia extremists” to control the resources of the country.
Libya is plunged into chaos since the fall of the regime of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. Two authorities competing for power : the libyan government of national unity (GNA), recognized by the UN, the West, and power embodied by the marshal Haftar in the East. The proposal of the peace plan of the president Abdel Fattah al-Sisi comes only a few days after the failure of the offensive launched in April 2019 by the marshal Haftar on Tripoli, where the seat of the RNG.
The arab League has welcomed this initiative, but the spokesman of the forces of the RNG is shown more reluctant. “We have not started this war, but we are the ones who decide where and when it ends “, he said.
As for the head of French diplomacy, Jean-Yves Le Drian, it has ” welcomed the result today aimed at the immediate cessation of hostilities “, believing that it was a ” priority “. The French minister of foreign Affairs, spoke during a meeting with his counterpart, Sameh Choukry, informed the Quai d’orsay in a press release. “He stressed that the priority should go to immediate cessation of hostilities and the rapid conclusion of a cease-fire “and emphasized” the importance of achieving the unification of the libyan institutions […] and the organization of parliamentary and presidential elections, ” added the French ministry.
later Saturday, Russia has also announced its support to the initiative of a ceasefire. “We have read the contents of the offer by the egyptian president, of course, we support all proposals that aim to stop the conflict in Libya as soon as possible,” said Mikhail Bogdanov, the special representative of Russia in the Middle East and in african countries, according to the news agency Ria.
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The offensive of the RNG
During this time, strong wins in recent weeks, government forces have launched on the same day, where Haftar has agreed to a cease-fire, an operation to retake the city of Sirte. Located on the coast, 450 km east of Tripoli, Sirte is a strategic lock between the east and the west of the oil country plunged in chaos since the fall of the regime of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.
The conflict has undergone in recent months an increasing involvement of foreign powers. And the RNG, supported by the allied Turkish, has inflicted a series of setbacks to the pro-Haftar, regaining control of all of Western libya. And he seems to want to continue the momentum.
Saturday, “orders have been given to the forces (the RNG) for them to begin to move forward and attack all positions of the rebels” in the region of Sirte, said Mohamad Gnounou, a spokesperson for the pro-RNG. “The air force has carried out five strikes in the outskirts of Sirte, targeting armed vehicles and mercenaries “, he added in a statement on Facebook.
Since Wednesday, the GNA announced successively the taking of Tripoli international airport, out of service for 2014, the total control of the administrative borders of Greater Tripoli and Tarhouna, the last stronghold of the pro-Haftar in the West.
Without directly confirm the first two setbacks, the spokesman for Khalifa Haftar, Ahmad al-Mismari, has reported a “redeployment” of troops out of Tripoli. “Giving in to the pressures and appeals of major powers and the UN for a cease-fire and the resumption of meetings 5 + 5 […], we moved back about 60 kilometers from the outskirts of Tripoli to move away from the battle,” he said.
the meetings of The military committee, which is comprised of five members pro-NEG and five pro-Haftar and who seeks to obtain a cease-fire, is suspended for three months, but the UN announced on Wednesday that their recovery in Geneva.
All attempts to re-establish a cease-fire sustainable, have hitherto failed. Since April of 2019, hundreds of people, including many civilians, have been killed and over 200,000 displaced.
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