Africa

The European Union’s top diplomat on Saturday welcomed the “initial progress” made in UN-brokered talks to end Libya’s civil war, conducted this week in Geneva. “Some steps in the right direction have been taken,” EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said in a statement, adding however that there is “still …

Libya’s army announced a ceasefire on Sunday, joining an Islamist-backed militia alliance in declaring a truce that the UN hailed as a “significant” step towards ending months of violence. “We declare a ceasefire from midnight [22:00 GMT] Sunday,” the army said, stressing however that it would continue to pursue “terrorists”, …

The foreign minister assistant for neighbouring countries Osama Al-Magdoub, and the Egyptian ambassador in Libya Mohamed Abu Bakr, met representatives from the Libyan tribe Awlad Solieman in Cairo on Sunday. “The meeting aims at keeping track of the security situation in Libya, especially in the southern part,” the foreign ministry …

The UN Security Council has welcomed a ceasefire announced by an Islamist-backed militia in Libya and threatened to impose sanctions on those who obstruct peace efforts. The 15-member council voiced support for a second round of UN-brokered talks to be held in Geneva next week and strongly urged all warring …

If U.N. attempts to get peace talks going between rival Libyan factions fail, there is a risk of full-scale civil war which would pose a serious threat to Libya’s neighbours and to Europe, the British special envoy for Libya said. The U.N.-sponsored talks, which began in Geneva on Wednesday, aim …

A new era is open in the bilateral relations between Algeria and Senegal following Senegalese President Macky Sall’s four-day state visit to Algeria, during which a boost was given to the multidimensional relations between the two countries. President Sall, during his stay in Algiers and the visits he made to …

Egypt’s Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukri travelled to Rabat on Thursday amid recently strained relations between the two countries, diplomatic sources said. Shoukri is set to deliver a personal message from President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi to  Morocco’s King Mohammed VI. A report which aired on Moroccan state television in December describing Egyptian …

Libya’s warring factions have agreed on an “agenda” to form a unity government after two days of UN-brokered talks in Geneva, the UN said today. The North African nation has been gripped by civil conflict since the overthrow of dictator Moamar Kadhafi in a 2011 uprising, with rival governments and powerful militias battling …

The United Nations is gearing up to kick-start a new round of political talks this week aimed at easing the deepening political and security crisis afflicting Libya, the UN Mission in the strife-torn country has announced. In a press release issued today, the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) said …

Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird is in Egypt on a two day trip to meet political and religious leaders, including President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi. It is Baird’s second visit to Egypt in less than a year, according to the Canadian government’s foreign affairs website. On Wednesday, he is scheduled …