Egypt reiterates support for Hifter to protect border
Libyan National Army commander Khalifa Hifter has recently visited Egypt to discuss the latest developments taking place in Libya, in what experts say reflects Egypt’s strategic support for Libya’s national army and its counterterrorism efforts.
CAIRO — Libyan National Army (LNA) commander Khalifa Hifter visited Egypt on April 14 to meet with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and discuss new developments in Libya. It was Hifter’s first foreign trip since the start of the military conflict in Libya on April 4.
The meeting between Sisi and Hifter comes after the Libyan army launched on April 4 a military operation dubbed Operation Flood of Dignity under Hifter’s command to seize control of the Libyan capital Tripoli and expel militias. The capital is currently under the control of the Government of National Accord (GNA) led by Fayez al-Sarraj.
A statement issued by the Egyptian presidency following the visit said that Sisi “reiterates Egypt’s support for the efforts made to fight terrorism, extremist groups and militias in a bid to establish security across Libya, pave the way for a stable and sovereign civil state and kick off the reconstruction and restoration process in the country.”
BBC published a report April 5 stating that the Government of National Accord, which is backed by the United Nations, relies on a group of militias for protection and security. This group, according to the report, includes several organizations, most notably the Tripoli Protection Force, Libya Revolutionaries and the Joint Deterrence and Intervention Force.
