Ali Semerci
22 July 2020•Update: 22 July 2020
TRIPOLI, Libya
The Libyan parliament late Tuesday slammed an Egyptian parliament’s decision to authorize Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to intervene militarily in Libya.
“We completely reject the Egyptian Parliament's decision based on an illegitimate invitation by those who claim to represent the Libyan tribes under the guise of ‘parliament,’” the parliament of the UN-recognized Government of National Accord (GNA) based in the capital of Tripoli said in a statement, referring to the Tobruk parliament that is affiliated with warlord Khalifa Haftar.
The parliament also asked the government “to be prepared to politically and practically respond to this threat, and to consider every option to give the correct response.”
In a move likely to worsen tensions in North Africa, Egypt’s parliament approved a proposal Monday that empowers military intervention in neighboring Libya, according to state media.
In a secret vote chaired by Parliament Speaker Ali Abdel Aal, the parliament authorized al-Sisi to “take all necessary measures to protect the country's national security,” Al Gomhuria daily reported.
The decision came a week after the Tobruk parliament gave Egypt a green light to intervene militarily in Libya under the pretext of "protecting the national security" of both countries.
Al-Sisi threatened military intervention last month in Sirte and Jufra, calling them a “red line.”
Since April 2019, Haftar's illegitimate forces have launched attacks on Tripoli and other parts of northwestern Libya, resulting in more than 1,000 deaths, including civilian women and children.
But the government recently achieved significant victories, pushing Haftar's forces out of Tripoli and the strategic city of Tarhuna.
Haftar has been supported internationally by Russia, France, Egypt, and the UAE.
* Writing by Zehra Nur Duz in Ankara.
