Eurasia Press & News
Egyptian Minister of Defence Sedki Sobhi announced on Monday that all troops in the western region must be ready to counter possible terrorist threats on the Egyptian border with Libya.
The head of the armed forces, who took over command after former commander Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi was elected president, urged the armed forces to increase combat effectiveness to “cope with risks and potential threats,” while “implementing all of the tasks entrusted to [the army] to protect Egyptian national security,” according to a statement on the Ministry of Defence’s website.
Sobhi’s comments came during the Badr 2014 military exercises, in which he oversaw training and inspected groups from the armed forces.
On Sunday, a political action group urged an end to all military activities in Libya, citing “the continued suffering of the Libyan people”.
The group, chaired by Egypt and comprised of representatives from Libya, Algeria, Tunisia, Niger, Chad, Sudan, and the African Union urged “immediate cessation of all military operations in order to support the political process in Libya,” as well as national reconciliation and the formation of a new constitution.
In a statement released by the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the group stated that “a comprehensive dialogue [is] the only way to restore security and stability to the Libyan people,” and urged “all parties and national political figures” to join in the talks.
