By Jamie Prentis.
Tunis, 7 July 2017:
France has welcomed the defeat of “terrorism” in Benghazi by Khalifa Hafter’s forces and promised its continued support in the campaign.
The French foreign ministry warned however that success could only be sustainable by a regular Libyan army operating under civilian control which could secure the country’s borders. The Libyan Political Agreement had to form the basis of any solution.
This echoed a similar statement the ministry gave last week insisting one of France’s key aims was to help “build a unified Libyan army” that could also lead the fight against terrorism and trafficking in all forms.
Last week its foreign minister Jean-Yves Le Drian also said Hafter “is part of the solution” and he revealed that Libya remained a priority for new President Emmanuel Macron.
Algeria’s foreign minister has also paid tribute to those “combatting terrorism” in Benghazi. Abdelkader Messahel said his country would help bolster Libya’s security and open the door to reconciliation across the country.
