(Bloomberg) -- Arab foreign ministers stressed on Tuesday that a political solution to the Libyan crisis was the only way forward, opposing any foreign intervention in the country.
The call by the Arab League, during an extraordinary meeting convened at Egypt’s request, comes after Khalifa Haftar’s self-styled Libyan National Army abandoned its more than yearlong offensive to take the capital, Tripoli, following a series of defeats by forces loyal to the internationally recognized government of Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj.
The declaration rejected outside interference in Libyan affairs, and said that mercenaries and terrorists were escalating the conflict in the OPEC nation. Egypt and the United Arab Emirates, which back Haftar, have repeatedly lashed out at Turkish support for Sarraj’s government and the help he has received from Syrian fighters sent over by Ankara.
It also affirmed support for a political solution based on a 2015 deal reached in Morocco that accommodated Libya’s feuding power centers, along with other international efforts.
That agreement allowed for the creation of a Presidency Council in Tripoli headed by Sarraj, as well as an advisory state council, while accepting also a rival legislature based in the eastern city of Tobrouk. The so-called Skhirat agreement provided the main elements of a peace plan proposed earlier this year by the head of the eastern-based parliament, Aguila Saleh.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry, addressing the ministers, said that the deployment of mercenaries and “terrorists” from Syria both destabilizes that country and “constitutes a grave threat to Arab national security.”
The front lines in the conflict have now shifted to the central Mediterranean city of Sirte, gateway to Libya’s critical oil crescent. That’s alarming Haftar’s backers in Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Russia. They face the prospect of losing more ground to Turkey, whose military intervention on behalf of Sarraj shifted the war’s momentum.
The League’s focus on the 2015 deal and other efforts put forward by Libya’s neighbors and other international initiatives -- speak to a fresh attempt to to deescalate tensions.
Sarraj’s Government of National Accord hasn’t opposed the plan, which repeated international efforts have referenced in other peace initiatives. Haftar, however, had opposed it before changing course.
The field marshal in April declared the deal dead, looking to set himself up as the sole power in the east by sidelining the legislature. The move drew criticism both from his eastern allies and foreign backers. Earlier this month stood alongside the eastern parliament’s head in Cairo as Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi unveiled a Cairo initiative.
Turkish logistical and military support for Sarraj allowed his forces to advance to Sirte, with officials declaring they would only talk after taking the city. El-Sisi on Saturday warned of military intervention by his country in response to any attempts to seize Sirte and the Jufra air base to its south.
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