President of South Africa Cyril Ramaphosa held a meeting on Tuesday with Fayez al-Sarraj, the head of Libya’s Government of National Accord (GNA), for talks on the Libyan crisis.
The two men met in preparation for a meeting of the African Union (AU) Contact Group on Libya, which will convene in Oyo, Congo on Thursday, March 12th.
During the meeting, Al-Sarraj briefed President Ramaphosa, in his capacity as Chair of the African Union, on political and security developments in the State of Libya.
The two officials also expressed the need for a political resolution to the challenges that Libya is facing, an end to foreign meddling and military action.
In addition to security and political consultations, Al-Sarraj and Ramaphosa discussed bilateral cooperation in different sectors such as education, agriculture, industry, healthcare and the participation of South African firms in rebuilding Libya.
Thursday’s AU Contact Group meeting will include the Heads of State of Egypt, Chad and Algeria. The meeting will be chaired by President Dennis Sassou Nguesso, President of the Republic of Congo, who is Chairperson of the African Union High Level Committee on Libya.
The Contact Group includes members of the AU High Level Committee on Libya with a view to provide political leadership and coordinate international efforts to find a solution to the Libyan crisis.
President Ramaphosa has expressed a desire to engage with all sides in Libya’s conflict in order to reach an end to hostilities and foster a political dialogue that will lead to the inclusive rebuilding of the Libyan economy and society.