Egypt’s support for Hifter could cost it work in Libya
Mounds of money could await companies able to win reconstruction contracts in war-torn Libya, but some Egyptian business owners wonder if they will be at a disadvantage because of the side Cairo chose in the civil war.
CAIRO — Egyptians looking to snag lucrative reconstruction contracts in Libya are divided over whether their country's support for one side in the civil war will hurt their chances.
On May 5, Fayez al-Sarraj, prime minister of Libya's Government of National Accord (GNA) in Tripoli, called on Egypt and other countries to end their support for the rival Libyan National Army (LNA) government led by military strongman Gen. Khalifa Hifter. Sarraj asked them to throw their weight behind the Libyan people “represented by the elected GNA.”
The GNA is considered the internationally recognized government because it is backed by the United Nations and European Union. It had backing from the United States until last month, when President Donald Trump flipped his position despite opposition in Congress. The general and his LNA are also supported by Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Russia and sometimes France, which last month was said to back Hifter and this month "reaffirmed" its backing for the GNA.
Hifter leads the “eastern government" based in Tobruk. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has consistently backed Hifter, even supporting his move on Tripoli that began April 4. The GNA has condemned the ongoing offensive, describing it as an attack on areas of sovereignty in Tripoli.
