Egypt seeks help in disarming Libyan militias
While denying accusations that it helped conduct air strikes in Libya, Cairo is seeking international support for an initiative to stabilize the country and disarm the militias.
CAIRO — Egypt was recently accused by the United States of carrying out airstrikes in Libya in alliance with the United Arab Emirates (UAE), a charge that was soon dropped.
Meanwhile, Cairo is seeking international support to guarantee the success of its initiative to restore stability in Libya and remove heavy weapons from the militias and tribes in return for their participation in political life. Egypt does not wish to interfere in Libyan affairs amid the lack of reliable institutions capable of completing the disarmament process. Thus, Cairo is seeking the help of international organizations such as the United Nations to ensure the success of the move, which it recently approved in ministerial-level meetings with Libya’s neighbors.
Maj. Gen. Zakaria Hussein, a strategy expert and the former head of the Nasser Military Academy, said in an interview with Al-Monitor that the doctrine and principles of the Egyptian armed forces does not allow any attack on a neighboring country that has not infringed on Egyptian territory.
Hussein asked: “How can the success of the Egyptian initiative be ensured? Who will ensure the disarmament of militias in the absence of a state in Libya? Who will adopt the law? Egypt will not enter Libya for disarmament purposes. The fact is that in order to succeed, its initiative primarily relies on the existence of international support. The international institutions ought to play their role in order to restore the needed stability to Libyan territories.”
