Egypt, Libya Discuss Cooperation to Fight Terrorism, Human Trafficking

Egyptian and Libyan officials held talks this week to strengthen cooperation in combatting crime, corruption and human trafficking. (Egyptian general prosecution)
Egyptian and Libyan officials held talks this week to strengthen cooperation in combatting crime, corruption and human trafficking. (Egyptian general prosecution)
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Egypt, Libya Discuss Cooperation to Fight Terrorism, Human Trafficking

Egyptian and Libyan officials held talks this week to strengthen cooperation in combatting crime, corruption and human trafficking. (Egyptian general prosecution)
Egyptian and Libyan officials held talks this week to strengthen cooperation in combatting crime, corruption and human trafficking. (Egyptian general prosecution)

Egyptian and Libyan officials held talks this week to strengthen cooperation in combatting crime, corruption and human trafficking.

The discussions were part of recommendations presented by the joint Libyan-Egyptian consular committee for resuming judicial cooperation between both countries.

Libyan Attorney General Al Sidiq Al Sour and his Egyptian counterpart Hamada Al Sawy signed in Cairo a memorandum of understanding to bolster cooperation in combating all forms of crimes, especially terrorism, corruption, human trafficking and cybercrimes.

Sawy ordered the preparation of proposals to Libyan officials over the exchange of technical and scientific expertise between the two neighbors.

For his part, Al Sour said both countries are united through history, geography and deep-rooted ties. He stressed the need to put in place “new mechanisms and patterns” to ensure close cooperation between the two prosecutions, and preserve evidence and confidentiality in investigations.

He cited the memorandum signed by the two sides as an example of how constant cooperation can be maintained.

Al Sawy and Al Srour then toured the Institute of Criminal Research and Training in Cairo.

In May, the joint Libyan-Egyptian consular committee held its 13th session in Cairo following an eight-year-halt. It discussed several common themes, including judicial cooperation, boosting cooperation in the areas of transport and customs, and facilitating the movement of people and goods between their countries.



UN Rights Chief ‘Gravely Concerned’ by Lebanon Escalation

Smoke billows above Beirut’s southern suburbs following an Israeli airstrike on November 26, 2024, amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hezbollah. (AFP)
Smoke billows above Beirut’s southern suburbs following an Israeli airstrike on November 26, 2024, amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hezbollah. (AFP)
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UN Rights Chief ‘Gravely Concerned’ by Lebanon Escalation

Smoke billows above Beirut’s southern suburbs following an Israeli airstrike on November 26, 2024, amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hezbollah. (AFP)
Smoke billows above Beirut’s southern suburbs following an Israeli airstrike on November 26, 2024, amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hezbollah. (AFP)

The UN rights chief on Tuesday voiced concern about the escalation of hostilities in Lebanon, where his office said nearly 100 people had been reported killed by Israeli airstrikes in recent days, including women, children and medics.

Israel has been locked in fighting with Lebanese armed group Hezbollah since Oct. 2023, and fighting has escalated dramatically since late September of this year.

"UN Human Rights Chief Volker Turk is gravely concerned by the escalation in Lebanon with at least 97 people reportedly killed in Israeli airstrikes between the 22nd and 24th of November," Jeremy Laurence, a spokesperson for the Office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights, told a Geneva press briefing.

He said that at least seven paramedics had been reported killed in three Israeli strikes in the south of Lebanon on Nov. 22-23, adding to 226 healthcare worker deaths since Oct. 7, 2023. He did not specify how many of the recent deaths had been verified by UN human rights monitors.

Israel says it targets military capabilities in Lebanon and Gaza and takes steps to mitigate the risk of harm to civilians. It accuses Hezbollah, like Hamas, of hiding among civilians, which they deny.