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Libyan National Army Warns of Qatari, Turkish Moves in Tunisia

Smoke rises from Mitiga Airport in Tripoli, Libya April 13, 2020. (Reuters)
Smoke rises from Mitiga Airport in Tripoli, Libya April 13, 2020. (Reuters)
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Libyan National Army Warns of Qatari, Turkish Moves in Tunisia

Smoke rises from Mitiga Airport in Tripoli, Libya April 13, 2020. (Reuters)
Smoke rises from Mitiga Airport in Tripoli, Libya April 13, 2020. (Reuters)

The Libyan National Army (LNA) questioned a recent statement by the Turkish foreign ministry that threatened to attack the military should it target Ankara's interests in Libya.

LNA spokesman Ahmed al-Mismari said the Turkish statement is "misleading because Ankara has been fighting the army since 2014 through its proxies in Libya."

It wasn't up until recently that it became directly involved in the fight, he noted in televised remarks on Sunday.

On the ground, he revealed that the militias that are loyal to the Government of National Accord (GNA) have retreated somewhat in Tripoli, but they continue to amass their forces near the Okba Ibn Nafa Air Basein al-Watiya.

Mismari also expressed his concern over the growing number of Turkish and Qatari flights landing in regions close to Libyan-Tunisian border.

He said that the activity is part of efforts to set up an administration for the Turks, Qataris and Muslim Brotherhood that are allied with Rached al-Ghannouchi, the Tunisian parliament speaker and founder of the Islamist Ennahda party.

Separately, Mismari criticized the United Nations mission in Libya, accusing it of being biased towards the GNA.

He said the mission "sees and hears with one eye and one ear."

The mission had accused last week the LNA of striking civilian neighborhoods in Tripoli.

On the latest developments in the fighting, a prominent official in the LNA told Asharq Al-Awsat that the military has inched closer to capturing Tripoli.

He revealed that the forces have seized new areas in the southern suburbs of the capital and made progress in the Abou Slim district, forcing the militias to retreat to the Watiya.

The official refused to disclose further details, simply adding: "God willing the coming days will bring many good news."

"Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erodgan will be the most pleased with them," he added sarcastically in reference to the Turkish leader's recent remarks that "good news" will come in from Libya after his forces recently offered military and logistic support to the GNA.

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Egypt Strengthens Cooperation with Africa to Tackle Water Challenges

Egypt affirms that water issues are a shared challenge growing more severe due to climate change (Photo by Abdel Fattah Farag)
Egypt affirms that water issues are a shared challenge growing more severe due to climate change (Photo by Abdel Fattah Farag)
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Egypt Strengthens Cooperation with Africa to Tackle Water Challenges

Egypt affirms that water issues are a shared challenge growing more severe due to climate change (Photo by Abdel Fattah Farag)
Egypt affirms that water issues are a shared challenge growing more severe due to climate change (Photo by Abdel Fattah Farag)

Egypt is continuing to strengthen its cooperation with African nations to confront the pressing challenges of water and food security.

“Water issues are a shared challenge that grows more severe due to climate change and resource scarcity, especially given Egypt’s near-total dependence on Nile water,” Egyptian Minister of Irrigation Hani Sewilam said, according to an official statement by the Egyptian Cabinet on Friday.

Speaking on behalf of the Prime Minister during a celebration at the Djibouti Embassy in Cairo marking Djibouti’s 48th independence anniversary, Sewilam emphasized that cross-border cooperation, rooted in principles of international law, is the optimal path to ensure sustainable water resources.

Egypt frequently raises the issue of water security, particularly amid the ongoing crisis over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, which Ethiopia has built on the main tributary of the Nile since 2011 to generate electricity. Egypt and Sudan fear it will impact their water shares.

Ambassador Salah Halima, former Assistant Foreign Minister and Deputy Chairman of the Egyptian Council for African Affairs, stressed that water security is closely linked to river management and dam operations. He told Asharq Al-Awsat that Egypt consistently underscores the importance of respecting international laws and agreements on managing water resources and criticized Ethiopia’s unilateral actions to impose a de facto situation regarding the dam.

Halima added that achieving water security requires cooperation among states in managing water resources and constructing dams, noting that Egypt has valuable experience African nations can benefit from.

Egypt faces a water deficit estimated at 30 billion cubic meters annually. Its share of Nile water amounts to 55.5 billion cubic meters per year, while consumption exceeds 85 billion cubic meters. The shortfall is covered by groundwater extraction, seawater desalination projects, and recycling agricultural drainage water, according to the Ministry of Irrigation.

On Friday, Sewilam highlighted the longstanding ties between Egypt and Djibouti as an example of cooperation amid complex regional and global challenges requiring greater unity and shared vision. He noted that the regional and international context demands an understanding of the magnitude of challenges, ranging from security and peace to sustainable development and socio-economic stability, especially in the Arab and African regions.

Egypt is finalizing a memorandum of understanding with Djibouti’s Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources to cooperate in fields such as integrated water resources management, desalination technologies, groundwater recharge, capacity building, knowledge exchange, and joint research.

In parallel, Egyptian Minister of Agriculture Alaa Farouk reaffirmed Egypt’s commitment to working with African countries to develop more efficient, inclusive, and sustainable agricultural value chains. Speaking during FAO meetings in Rome, he said that strengthening these chains is central to food security, economic growth, and job creation, particularly in rural areas. Farouk also discussed promoting Egyptian investment in Africa to boost agricultural development and food security across the continent.