Egypt’s President, Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, says his country has a legitimate right to intervene in neighbouring Libya and has ordered his army to be ready to carry out any mission outside the country, if necessary.
“Any direct intervention from the Egyptian state has now acquired international legitimacy,” Sisi told an audience after inspecting military units at an air base near the border with Libya.
He said Egypt has the right to defend itself after receiving “direct threats” from “terrorist militias and mercenaries” supported by foreign countries, in an apparent reference to some armed groups loyal to the GNA and supported by Turkey.
On Saturday Sisi said that Egypt has always been reluctant to intervene in Libya and wants a political solution to its conflict, but added that “the situation now is different”.
“If some people think that they can cross the Sirte-Jufra frontline, this is a red line for us,” he said before an audience that included some Libyan tribal leaders.