During an audience granted by Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune to the President of the Libyan Presidential Council, Mohamed al-Manfi, in Algiers.
Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune and President of the Libyan Presidential Council, Mohamed al-Manfi, discussed on Wednesday securing areas in southern Libya, bordering Algeria.
At the end of June, the Libyan media reported that the militia of retired General Khalifa Haftar closed the southern border with Algeria, and declared it a “military zone”, in a move that was understood, according to observers, as a direct message of “challenge” to the attention of Algiers, which supports the legitimate authority in Tripoli.
Al-Manfi said at a press conference held in Algiers following discussions with Tebboune, “We discussed common issues, including securing southern Libya, which is an Algerian-Libyan national security issue and we discussed the opening of border crossing points, which is also important for Libyans especially at the moment,” according to the correspondent of the Anadolu Agency.
The two countries are connected by a border stretching for approximately 1000 km, and 3 land border crossing points.
And Al-Manfi added, “We are satisfied with the full support expressed by President Tebboune for our efforts during this period to achieve legislative and presidential elections, in which the Libyan people will choose their representatives.”
A way out of the crisis has been looming in Libya since the government of national unity and the new Presidential Council took office on March 16, 2021, to lead the country to the legislative and presidential elections scheduled for December 24.
“We wish to see Algeria make its contribution to Libyan national reconciliation, which is one of the important points of the political agreement until the organization of the elections”, continued Al-Manfi.
For his part, the Algerian President declared: “I assured the President of the Libyan Presidential Council Mohamed al-Manfi that Algeria is at the disposal of the Libyan brothers, and we have no ambition or vision except that that the Libyans have for their country”.
“Algeria will wait for the decision taken by the Libyan brothers concerning the situation in their country,” Tebboune added.
For months, Libya has followed a political process, under the auspices of the United Nations. Libyans hope this new path will lead to an end to the conflict in their oil-rich country.
The Algerian President indicated that during this meeting with the Libyan official, it was agreed on “several decisions which will help to resolve certain problems facing Libya”, without specifying their nature.
Al-Manfi began a two-day visit to Algeria on Wednesday morning, during which he will discuss ways to strengthen bilateral cooperation between the two countries, according to a statement from the Algerian Presidency.
