US President Donald Trump has welcomed the Cairo Declaration initiative for a ceasefire in Libya, during a phone call with President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi, an Egyptian presidency statement said on Wednesday.
The Cairo Declaration has called for a ceasefire, a presidential council under UN supervision elected by the Libyan people, and the removal of mercenaries from Libya. The initiative will also see the dismantling of militias, and the surrender of weapons by the eastern-based Libyan Arab Armed Forces (LAAF) led by Commander Khalifa Haftar.
The US joins a long list of countries that have leant their support behind the Cairo Declaration, including Russia, France, Italy, the UAE, and the UK.
Also Wednesday, the EU High Representative and Foreign Ministers of France, Germany, and Italy all urged Libyan and International parties to effectively and immediately stop all military operations.
They also encouraged for a constructive engagement in the 5+5 Joint Military Commission negotiations, based upon the draft agreement of 23 February.
These efforts must lead all parties to swiftly agree on a ceasefire agreement as part of the 5+5 Joint Military Commission framework. This includes the withdrawal of all foreign forces, mercenaries, and military equipment from all parts of Libya supplied in violation of the UN arms embargo, and to engage constructively in all strands of the UN-led intra-Libyan dialogue. It will pave the way for a comprehensive political agreement in accordance with the parameters agreed upon in Berlin.
Meanwhile, German ambassador to Libya Oliver Owcza met with Haftar, and expressed concern about ongoing military confrontations and their worrisome impacts on the civilian population.
