Intel: AFRICOM commander visits Libya’s UN-backed prime minister in Tripoli

The head of US Africa Command (AFRICOM) and Washington’s ambassador to Libya urged western Libya’s Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj to return to the United Nations-backed cease-fire process during a meeting west of Tripoli on Monday, the State Department said.

Col. Christopher Karns, a spokesperson for US AFRICOM, emphasized to Al-Monitor that the meeting was led by Ambassador Richard Norland. The State Department said in an emailed statement that the discussions focused on “current opportunities for a strategic pause in military operations by all parties to the conflict.”

“Ambassador Norland outlined US support for the diplomacy underway through UN auspices to promote a cease-fire and political dialogue,” the statement read.

“[AFRICOM commander] Gen. Stephen Townsend presented his military perspective on the risk of escalation, the dangers posed by Russia’s support for Wagner operations and the strategic importance of ensuring freedom of navigation in the Mediterranean.”