Gen. Khalifa Haftar of Libya was in Cairo on Wednesday to hold talks with the Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi.
In attendance at the meeting were speaker of the east Libya-based parliament, Aquila Saleh, and Egyptian spy chief Abbas Kamel.
Egyptian President Abdelfattah el-Sissi was brought to speed on developments in Libya and the efforts of all parties to implement a cease-fire and advance the peace process under the supervision of the U.N at the meeting.
According to Egyptian media, Saleh and Haftar arrived in Cairo on Tuesday on an unannounced visit. In June last year, El-Sissi met with both men and announced what was known as the Cairo Declaration to solve the Libyan crisis.
While addressing the 75th session of the U.N General Assembly via video link, the Egyptian president said the line extending between Sirte and Jufra is demarcated as a redline in defense of the Egyptian people and national security. El-Sissi also urged all parties involved in the Libyan conflict to return to the political process with the aim of restoring peace, security and stability.
Gen. Khalifa Haftar and his eastern-based forces have mainly been receiving support from Egypt, Russia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), while Qatar and Turkey are the main backers of the U.N -recognized legitimate Government of National Accord (GNA).
Russia has been accused of sending mercenaries to Libya in support of Haftar’s troops. The Wagner Group, a Russian private military company active in Libya, Syria and Ukraine, has been accused of playing a key role with its mercenaries in the conflict.
On Wednesday, the United States slapped sanctions on a Russia network tied to a close ally of President Vladimir Putin and on persons accused of assisting Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) and helping Moscow evade sanctions.
Three people and two mining companies who work for Yevgeniy Prigozhin were the targets of the first tranche of sanctions. The ally to President Putin who was indicted by U.S Special Counsel Robert Mueller for attempts to influence the 2016 presidential election and who is believed to own the Wagner Group.
