South Africa welcomes Cairo Declaration, Algeria favours political solution in Libya

Algeria rejects military action in Libya, ready to sponsor peace agreement

South Africa President Cyril Ramaphosa welcomed the Cairo Declaration initiative launched last week by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi to find a political solution to the Libyan conflict.
It came during a phone call between Al-Sisi and Ramaphosa on Saturday.
Ramaphosa asserted that the initiative comes in consistent with the African Union efforts in Libya which aims at settling the Libyan crisis peacefully.
During the phone call Al-Sisi reviewed the Egyptian initiative which mainly aims to reach a comprehensive political settlement, achieving security and stability, and put an end to the bloodshed in Libya.
Moreover, Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune said on Friday that Algeria rejects military action in the Libyan crisis, and will maintain a distance from all parties involved in the issue.
Speaking to the press, Tebboune outlined Algeria's readiness to sponsor a peace agreement in Libya as it did in Mali. He noted that the conflicting parties in Libya have accepted Algerian mediation.
"The solution in Libya is seen in our contribution, with Egypt and Tunisia, in order to reach an agreement on the crisis," Tebboune added.
Also on Friday, Egypt's President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi discussed during a phone call with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron the latest developments in Libya, an Egyptian presidency statement said.
These latest developments include the Cairo Declaration, Egypt's initiative to end the crisis in its neighbouring country, the statement added.
Al-Sisi briefed Macron on Egypt's ongoing efforts to reach a political settlement within the framework of the initiative.
During the call, Macron welcomed the Cairo Declaration, and asserted the importance of favouring a political path to find a solution to the Libyan crisis. He noted that this is in alignment with relevant UN resolutions and international efforts to resolve the situation. Macron also hailed Egypt's endeavours to resolve the conflict and restore peace across Libya.
Both leaders agreed on continuing coordination to implement the terms of the Cairo Declaration, especially supporting the Libyan Arab Armed Forces (LAAF) in combating terrorist and armed groups.
The Cairo Declaration, formally announced on 6 June, called for a ceasefire that would pave the way for elections in Libya. The initiative also called for the withdrawal of foreign forces from the country.
A range of Arab and Western countries have welcomed the Cairo Declaration, including the US, Russia, Germany, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia.
Meanwhile, the Turkish opposition parties have voiced concern to the policies of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan regarding his direct involvement in the Libyan conflict.
Member of Parliament Hisyar Ozsoy, who is also a spokesperson for the Peoples' Democratic Party, said that his party voted against sending Turkish military personnel to Libya. He also rejected military intervention, which will not help in solving the crisis.
He asserted that Turkey could have played an active role in finding a political solution for the Libyan conflict. Instead, he argued, the country has mainly focused on one goal, notably imposing its dominance in Libya through military actions.