GNA Interior Minister: Sarraj Held Secret Talks in Cairo

GNA chief Fayez al-Sarraj. (AFP)
GNA chief Fayez al-Sarraj. (AFP)
TT

GNA Interior Minister: Sarraj Held Secret Talks in Cairo

GNA chief Fayez al-Sarraj. (AFP)
GNA chief Fayez al-Sarraj. (AFP)

Libyan Government of National Accord (GNA) chief Fayez al-Sarraj recently made a secret trip to Egypt, revealed GNA Interior Minister Fathi Bashagha.

Last week’s trip, which lasted only a few hours, saw him meet various Egyptian officials before he departed for Bahrain where he offered his condolences over the death of its prime minister, said Bashagha.

The minister, who had returned from France on an official visit, revealed that he had requested from Egyptian authorities that his recent trip to their country be open.

Bashagha is seeking to present himself as a successor to Sarraj. He has claimed that all police and security departments in western, eastern and southern Libya are affiliated with him administratively and financially. He has also boasted that he has been able to pay the salaries of 250,000 police personnel.

Separately, members of the Libyan parliament are preparing to meet in Morocco’s Tangiers to hold talks on uniting the legislative authorities in the country.

Libya is divided between an east-based legislature, headed by Speaker Aguila Saleh, and another based in the capital Tripoli in the west.

A delegation from the Tripoli parliament had arrived in Morocco ahead of the talks. It includes all members of the legislature.

Members of the east-based parliament were flown to Morocco onboard a plane chartered by Libyan National Army (LNA) commander Khalifa Haftar.

The Tangiers meeting will be followed by official talks inside Libya.



Syria's New Rulers Name Foreign Minister

Syrians wave the independence-era flag after Friday Noon prayers at the Umayyad Mosque in the capital Damascus on December 20, 2024. (Photo by OMAR HAJ KADOUR / AFP)
Syrians wave the independence-era flag after Friday Noon prayers at the Umayyad Mosque in the capital Damascus on December 20, 2024. (Photo by OMAR HAJ KADOUR / AFP)
TT

Syria's New Rulers Name Foreign Minister

Syrians wave the independence-era flag after Friday Noon prayers at the Umayyad Mosque in the capital Damascus on December 20, 2024. (Photo by OMAR HAJ KADOUR / AFP)
Syrians wave the independence-era flag after Friday Noon prayers at the Umayyad Mosque in the capital Damascus on December 20, 2024. (Photo by OMAR HAJ KADOUR / AFP)

Syria's new rulers have appointed a foreign minister, the official Syrian news agency (SANA) said on Saturday, as they seek to build international relations two weeks after Bashar al-Assad was ousted.
The ruling General Command named Asaad Hassan al-Shibani as foreign minister, SANA said. A source in the new administration told Reuters that this step "comes in response to the aspirations of the Syrian people to establish international relations that bring peace and stability.”
No details were immediately available about Shibani.
Syria's de facto ruler, Ahmed al-Sharaa, has actively engaged with foreign delegations since assuming power, including hosting the UN's Syria envoy and senior US diplomats.
Sharaa has signaled a willingness to engage diplomatically with international envoys, saying his primary focus is on reconstruction and achieving economic development. He has said he is not interested in engaging in any new conflicts.
The United States, other Western powers and many Syrians were glad to see groups led by Sharaa's Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) topple Assad.