Libyan official: Egyptian president playing war drums

TRIPOLI

Remarks by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi is "playing the drums of war," a member of the Libyan High Council of State said late Saturday.

Al-Sisi alluded to the possibility of sending "external military missions if required," and said that "any direct intervention in Libya has already become legitimate internationally,” while in Matrouh, near the Libyan border.

After the comments, Abdurrahman Shater said in a tweet that Egypt has intervened in Libya’s internal affairs for four years.

He said his country’s security and democracy have been in danger since al-Sisi insisted on bringing in military troops that Libyans did not accept.

"Take your hands off us, do not repeat the tragedy in Yemen," he told al-Sisi.

Meanwhile, the MPs and the government have been asked to respond to al-Sisi's threats.

Al-Sisi told his army to "be prepared to carry out any mission here within our borders, or if necessary outside our borders."

"Sirte and Jufra are a red line," he said.

Al-Sisi stressed that "any direct interference from Egypt [in Libya] has now acquired the international legitimacy, either with the right to self-defense, or at the request of the only legitimate elected authority in Libya, which is the House of Representatives [Tobruk]."

However, the UN recognizes the government headed by Fayez al-Sarraj.

The government launched Operation Peace Storm against warlord Khalifa Haftar in March to counter attacks on the capital and recently regained strategic locations, including Tarhuna, Haftar's final stronghold in western Libya.

The Libyan government has condemned the military support by Egypt, the UAE, France and Russia for attacks by Haftar's militias on Tripoli which began April 4, 2019.

*Writing by Fahri Aksut