Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry stated that stability in Libya depended on restructuring the Presidential Council, forming an independent government, disarming militias, fighting terrorism, unifying the military, and ensuring a fair distribution of wealth.
During his speech at the United Nations Security Council on Wednesday, Shoukry confirmed that Egypt would not allow militias to threaten its security, saying, “We will not tolerate these dangers to our country. We call on the international community to face the danger of the terrorist organizations in Libya”, adding that the Islamic State has resurfaced once again in some western cities, especially in Sabratah.
Shoukry slammed regional powers that are intervening in Libya by sending fighters to the country on a daily basis. This threatens the stability of the Middle East and Mediterranean region.
“I take this opportunity to reassert that the member states [of the UN Security Council] are obliged to fight terrorism in Libya by condemning any sort of support for radical forces by regional powers,” he said.
The Egyptian Foreign Minister also said that there are militias in Libya that want to enforce their agendas at the expense of the Libyan people.
“Egypt’s position is focused on supporting a political solution for a unified Libya, as mentioned in the Cairo Declaration. This is in accordance with the results of the Berlin Conference, UN Security Council resolutions, as well as the resolutions of the Arab League and the African Union,” Shoukry said.
“Egypt supports these basic principles for a political solution and President Abdel-Fatah El-Sisi reiterated Egypt’s demand for an unconditional ceasefire in Libya in his speech on 20 June 2020. He stressed that all parties should refrain from military action in order to resume the political process, which includes all legitimate parties, in order to reach a Libyan-led solution,” he stated.