Egypt will host a conference for Libyan tribes this month, in an effort to push forward the political dialogue in the turbulent country. The conference's exact date will be set in coordination with the United Nations (UN) and the Libyan tribes, according to a Foreign Ministry statement. Ministry spokesman Badr Abdelatty said hosting the conference stems from Egypt's belief in the importance of "supporting the unity of the Libyan people, achieving security all across Libya and giving a push to the political dialogue track". Abdelatty highlighted the importance of the tribes' role in helping reach a "national agreement" that can facilitate the dialogue the UN leads between different Libyan parties through its envoy Bernardino Leon. The UN is leading ongoing negotiations between the Libyan parties in the conflict, primarily the internationally recognised government based in Tobruk and Islamists in Benghazi. Abdelatty asserted that Egypt strongly supports political reconciliation. In February, Egypt launched airstrikes targeting militant Islamist targets in Libya in retaliation against the beheadings of 20 Egyptians by Islamic State in Libya operatives. In March, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi announced support for UN efforts to seek a political solution to the conflict in Libya. At the same time, however, he warned of the possible ‘lengthy' time period needed for peaceful negotiations to conclude.
