El-Sisi Tells Tribes Egypt Can Decisively Change Libya’s War

(Bloomberg) --

Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi said his country’s military was capable of turning the tide of the conflict in neighboring Libya if pro-government forces sought to seize a key city controlled by an ally of Cairo.

Stressing that he favored a negotiated solution, El-Sisi told a gathering of Libyan tribal leaders aligned with eastern-based strongman Khalifa Haftar that he had declared the city of Sirte -- the gateway to Libya’s so-called oil crescent -- as a red line in order to encourage parties to pursue peace.

Still, Egypt wouldn’t stand by in the face of action that poses a “direct threat” to Libyan and Egyptian security and that of the wider region, he said.

The tribal representatives gathered in the Egyptian capital renewed an invitation “delegating” to Egypt the role of “protecting the Libyan people,” the presidency said in a statement. The Egyptian army would only enter OPEC member Libya if asked by its people and would leave only when ordered by them, El-Sisi said in remarks repeatedly interrupted by cheers.

Earlier this week, lawmakers who support Haftar welcomed the possibility of an Egyptian military intervention if one were necessary.

Turkish-military backing for Libya’s internationally recognized government defeated Haftar’s yearlong bid to seize Tripoli and pushed the commander’s self-styled Libyan National Army east. Haftar’s backers -- which include state-linked Russian mercenaries and the United Arab Emirates -- have called for talks but also vowed not to let him lose more significant territory.

El-Sisi said he had no problems with the leaders in Libya’s west, a reference to the government of Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj. At the same time, Egypt stands ready to take all necessary steps to counter threats in Libya, the president said, adding he wouldn’t allow militias to approach Egypt’s border.

Sirte has been at the center of major events during Libya’s years of conflict. In 2011, as NATO-backed rebels took Tripoli during the Arab Spring uprising, autocrat Moammar Qaddafi was captured and killed there. It later became a holdout for Islamic State militants.

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