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WORLD NEWS Monday 16 deceMber 2019
Egypt’s el-Sissi says militias hold Libyan gov’t ‘hostage’

By SAMY MAGDY eign Ministry went unan-
Associated Press swered.
CAIRO (AP) — Libya’s U.N.- The Libyan commander
supported government is Thursday declared a “fi-
held hostage by “armed nal” and decisive battle for
and terrorist militias” in Tripoli, unleashing heavy
the capital, Tripoli, Egypt’s clashes on the southern
leader said Sunday. reaches of the city in the
President Abdel-Fattah el- past two days against the
Sissi said in televised com- Tripoli-based militias.
ments that the Govern- El-Sissi’s comments came
ment of National Accord amid heightened tensions
“is not able to have a free with Turkey after a con-
and real will because they troversial maritime border
have been taken hostage agreement it signed last
by armed and terrorist mili- month with Libya’s U.N.-
tias there.” based government.
The GNA is backed by Greece, Egypt and Cyprus,
Egypt’s regional rivals Tur- which lie between the two
key and Qatar. geographically, have de-
Egypt’s relations with the nounced the deal as being
two countries have been contrary to international
strained since 2013 when law, and Greece expelled
el-Sissi, as defense minis- In this Sept. 24, 2019 file photo, Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi addresses the 74th session the Libyan ambassador
ter, led the military to over- of the United Nations General Assembly. last week over the issue.q
throw an elected but divi- Associated Press
sive President Muhammad
Morsi in 2013, a member of Tripoli authorities to wrest
the Muslim Brotherhood, control of the capital. He is
amid mass protests against backed by the United Arab
his brief rule. Emirates and Egypt, as well
The Tripoli-based govern- as France and Russia, while
ment is supported by a Lib- the Tripoli-based govern-
yan affiliate of the Muslim ment receives aid from Tur-
Brotherhood group, which key, Qatar and Italy.
Cairo designated as a ter- On Saturday, Egypt’s par-
rorist organization in 2013. liament Speaker Ali Abdel-
The political party of Turkish Al said Egypt recognizes
President Recep Tayyip Er- the Libyan legislature as
dogan is an offshoot of the “the sole legitimate body
Muslim Brotherhood, too. representing the Libyan
El-Sissi said his country has people,” according to the
been “negatively affect- MENA news agency. He
ed” by the conflict in Lib- said the Egyptian parlia-
ya, which descended into ment backs Hifter’s forces
chaos after the 2011 civil in their “fighting against ter-
war that ousted and killed rorism.”
long-time dictator Moam- Libya’s parliament is affili-
mar Gadhafi. ated with the government
Last week, the Egyptian based in the country’s east
president said a compre- and has opposed the U.N.-
hensive political solution supported government in
would be achieved in the Tripoli.
coming months that would Abdel-Al did not say
put an end to a “terrorist whether the government
hotbed that pushes mili- of el-Sissi decided to re-
tants and weapons to (Lib- scind its recognition of the
ya’s) neighboring countries Tripoli-based government.
including Egypt.” Multiple calls to the coun-
In the chaos that followed try’s presidency and For-
Gadhafi’s death, Libya
was divided into two parts,
a weak U.N.-supported ad-
ministration in Tripoli and a
rival government in the east
aligned with the self-styled
Libyan National Army, led
by Gen. Khalifa Hifter.
Hifter, who has modeled
himself after el-Sissi, has for
months been fighting an ar-
ray of militias allied with the