French President Emmanuel Macron will meet eastern Libyan commander Khalifa Haftar sometime next week to push for a ceasefire and resume peace talks in the country, a French presidential source told Reuters on Thursday.
“They will discuss the situation in Libya, the conditions for a return to political dialogue following the visit of Serraj and in coordination with the United Nations and partners,” the Reuters report read.
The source could not confirm when the meeting could take place. The French presidency said no meeting planned has been planned at this point of time.
Last week, Macron appealed for a ceasefire in the ongoing battle between eastern Libyan forces commander Khalifa Haftar’s Libyan National Army (LNA) and the UN-backed Fayez Al Sarraj’s internationally-recognized government for Libya’s capital Tripoli after meeting U.N.-backed Libyan Prime Minister Fayez al-Serraj. He called out for an unconditional ceasefire implemented under international supervision.
Notably, just hours after meeting Macron, the Serraj government warned 40 foreign firms including French oil major Total to renew their licenses or have their operations suspended.
Meanwhile, Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte met Haftar on Thursday as European powers seek an end to fighting after Haftar’s troops launched an offensive on the capital.
“Prime Minister Conte reiterated the need to agree to a ceasefire as soon as possible to avoid a humanitarian crisis in the country and safeguard the already difficult conditions of the Libyan people,” his office said.
The eastern Libyan forces commander also met with Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi earlier this month. El-Sisi confirmed Egypt’s support for efforts to counter terrorism and militias in order to achieve safety and stability in Libya.
According to the World Health Organization, the weeks of fighting have killed more than 430 people and wounded at least 2,110 others, while displacing more than 55,000.
