Libyans welcome Sisi’s remarks on possible military intervention

Ali Rajab

Libyan political forces warmly welcomed remarks by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi that his country may find itself obliged to militarily intervene in Libya if the forces of the Turkey-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) tried to attack the central Libyan cities of Sirte and al-Kufra.

Head of the Libya Revival Bloc Aref al-Nayed welcomed the remarks of the Egyptian president.

“The remarks came to deliver a strong message to Turkey and the terrorist militias it backs in Tripoli,” al-Nayed said. “Turkey and these militias are here to steal the wealth of the Libyan people.”

President Sisi made the remarks on June 20 during his tour of a military base in Egypt’s Western Desert, near the border with Libya.

He said his country’s possible military intervention in Libya would be legitimate and aim to protect the Egyptian border at a time of extreme chaos in the neighboring country.

The GNA rejected the remarks and described them as amounting to Egyptian “interference” in Libyan affairs, even as the GNA controls only a fraction of Libyan territories.

Turkey, which transferred thousands of Syrian mercenaries and terrorists to Libya to fight alongside GNA militias, also rejected the remarks.

Nevertheless, most of Libya’s political forces welcomed the same remarks.

A council of the chieftains of the Libyan city of Tarhunah also welcomed the remarks of the Egyptian president.

It said in a statement that it fully backs the remarks, accusing the GNA of being controlled by militias.

“Libya faces a new occupation attempt by Turkey, one aiming at stealing its wealth and destroying its social fabric,” the council said in its statement. “The same attempt wants to turn Libya into a hotbed of terrorism and militancy,” it added.