Egypt stressed the importance of facilitating the flow of weapons to the Libyan army to defend its territories and fight “terrorism”.
The comments came during a meeting between Osama Al-Magdoub, Assistant Foreign Minister for Neighbouring Countries’ Affairs, and the US Department of State’s Special Envoy for Libya Jonathan Winer on Friday.
Al-Magdoub also stressed the importance resolving the political crisis on Libyan territories through reaching an agreement, as “there is no time” for the continuation of the “security vacuum” and the spread of terrorism in Libya.
Winer said that the US understands the threat posed by terrorism in Libya. However, he stressed the importance of reaching a government of national accord in Libya.
Egypt has reiterated calls for lifting the embargo on the Libyan army to allow it to counter terrorist threats. An arms embargo has been imposed in Libya since 2011, prohibiting Libya from exporting all arms and related material.
Two governments are currently operating on Libyan territories. The internationally-recognised government is based in the city of Beyda, known as the Tobruk government and led by Abdullah Al-Thinni. The Islamist government is operating from the capital in Tripoli under the leadership of Khalifa Al-Ghowel.
Over the past four years, Islamists have gained control over prominent areas in Libya, including the city of Sirte, Benghazi, Misrata and the capital Tripoli.
The UN has been leading peace talks between the two governments. The UN Security Council called for the lifting of the “terrorist” threat and reiterated that there can be no military solution to the crisis in Libya. However, the UNSC supports keeping the embargo in place.
Egypt backs Al-Thinni’s government against its rivals. Egypt also hosted meetings with Libyan tribal leaders, the latest of which were held on 25-28 May with the aim of “supporting the unity of the Libyan people, achieving security all across Libya and giving a push to the political dialogue track”.
