UAE welcomes Egypt initiative in Libya, calls for political solution: Gargash

The new Egyptian peace initiative in Libya could lead to an immediate ceasefire in the country, the withdrawal of foreign forces, and a political solution, the UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash said on Monday.

“There are many fears that the international community cannot accept, the first of which is the continuation of killings,“ Gargash said.

“There is a legitimate concern about the survival of the Libyan war/peace decision within the state’s institutions. Another concern is whether they will continue to reject legalizing arming militias in the name of the country. The way to go about this is a political solution which brings Libyan sides together,” Gargash added.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi announced Cairo's plan for a ceasefire in Libya, beginning June 8, after meeting with Libyan National Army (LNA) Gen. Khalifa Haftar on Saturday.

Al-Sisi said that the political initiative, which he called the “Cairo initiative” would pave the way for a return to normal life in Libya and warned against using military tactics to resolve the crisis.

So far, the UN-recognized Government of National Accord has rejected the initiative, while the rival LNA has backed it. The effort was also welcomed by Saudi Arabia.