Eurasia Press & News
The Cairo Centre for Conflict Resolution and Peace Building in Africa has hosted Libyan tribal elders and leaders in Cairo as an opportunity to “reunite and overcome the current crisis”.
The tribal officials from across Libya participated in three days of talks in Cairo, which began on Sunday. The centre said in a Tuesday statement that the talks present an opportunity for the tribes to tackle the challenges facing Libya, “which are afflicting the Libyan people and the state, and threaten its security and stability”.
The group stressed that the crisis can be averted through “sincere dialogue… on the basis of the fundamentals of the Libyan nation, support for legitimate state institutions, especially the House of Representatives and the renunciation of violence and its perpetrators”.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Sameh Shoukry met the Arab League Secretary General’s envoy for Libya Nasser Al-Kidwa on Tuesday. The pair addressed Libya’s “political path” and discussed “ways to support the legitimate institutions there”.
Shoukry also relayed to the Arab League envoy the results of discussions with the tribal elders and leaders over the course of their three-day visit to Cairo.
The House of Representative (HoR), which is the elected government of Libya, aligned itself on Sunday with retired army general Khalifa Hiftar, whose forces have been fighting Islamists in the eastern city of Benghazi.
The HoR relocated to Tobruk after the capital Tripoli was beset by militant groups fighting for control. Islamist forces such as Libya Dawn claimed control of the city, which is now home to a rival Islamist-dominated government.
The United States, United Kingdom, France, Italy and Germany released a joint communiqué on Saturday reiterating their support for the HoR and condemning the widespread violence in the nation, specifically referring to Ansar Al-Sharia and Hiftar’s actions in Benghazi.
