Libya’s UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) denounced on Saturday the Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi’s threat of military intervention, labelling it as a “declaration of war.”
“This is a hostile act, direct interference and amounts to a declaration of war,” the Tripoli-based GNA, led by Fayez al-Sarraj said in a statement.
It added that the internationally-recognised government was open to “all impartial mediation … under the aegis of the UN” but rejected “unilateral or extrajudicial initiatives”.
Earlier in the day, Egypt’s President warned that if pro-GNA forces march towards the strategic city of Sirte, located some 450 kilometres east of the capital Tripoli, this could provoke a “direct” intervention by Cairo.
El-Sisi also ordered the country’s army to be ready to carry out missions inside or outside of the country to protect its national security amid tensions over Turkey’s intervention in Libya, according to AFP.
The statements came ahead of a virtual meeting of the Arab League Foreign Ministers on Libya, on which, GNA refused to participate. The meeting, called for by Egypt, was to be held on Monday, however, it was postponed to one day later.
Libya has been torn by conflict since 2011, when the NATO-backed uprising overthrown the longtime ruler Muammar Gaddafi.
In the war-torn country, the internationally recognised GNA is clashing with the forces of Libya’s National Army (LNA) under the command of General Khalifa Haftar.
On June 6, el-Sisi proposed the “Cairo Declaration and Cairo Initiative” and called for a number of measures, including a ceasefire on June 8, elections for a presidential council by the Libyan people under the auspices of the UN, the departure of all mercenaries from Libya, and the resumption of the 5+5 military talks.
