"It is up to the Egyptian armed forces to intervene to protect Libyan and Egyptian national security if they see an imminent threat to the security of the two countries" and still "The dangers posed by the Turkish occupation represent a direct threat to our country and neighboring countries, in particular to Egypt". These are some excerpts from the press note issued a few days ago by the Parliament of Tobruk, the Libyan legislative assembly elected in 2014 that never approved the Sarraj government in Tripoli and which represents the "political arm" of Marshal of Libya Khalifa Haftar.
A full-blown request for help from the Cyrenaic Parliament addressed to Cairo when the Tripoline militias - with the support of Syrian mercenaries and Turkish "military advisers" - are a few kilometers from Sirte.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has accepted Tobruk's request and just yesterday the Cairo Parliament authorized the deployment of troops in Libya if national security was deemed to be threatened; translated, Egypt will not tolerate the occupation of Sirte and the consequent advance in the "oil crescent" by the Turkish Tripoli. By now the Egyptian government does not even hide the fact that its real enemy is Turkey, considered an occupying power and above all capable of undermining the multiple political, strategic and economic interests of Cairo (and of the Sunni Emirate-Qatari bloc) in Libya.
Political skirmishes are going on between Ankara and Cairo but the actors directly on the field are aware of the fact that it is on their skin that the delicate game of the Libyan territorial reorganization is being played: in Tobruk they hold the old Egyptian proposal to cease -the fire that essentially provides for the division (and division) of Libya into two states and which would safeguard Cyrenaica, considered by Cairo as an area of its exclusive interest. A proposal never considered by Tripoli and Ankara, which has not been successful even in the international context precisely because it is burdened by the counterpart's veto in the Libyan conflict, but which is now seen as the only lifeline by the President of the Cyrenaic Parliament Agula Saleh Issa given the loud defeats suffered by Haftar in the past weeks.
Last week Saleh flew to Rome to meet the Prime Minister Conte, the Foreign Minister Di Maio and the presidents of the House and Senate Fico and Casellati. In essence, the Libyan politician asked Italy to support the Egyptian ceasefire and the resumption of dialogue also stressing that in Cyrenaica - despite the oil blockade again imposed by the Tobruk authorities despite the agreement advocated by the NOC - the Italian interests, over all those of ENI, are not questioned.
Saleh's visit to the Italian capital is part of a political process that sees Rome increasingly on course with Tripoli (of which she had also been the main sponsor even when it was not convenient to be so and everything foreshadowed an easy victory for Haftar) and closer and closer to the demands of France which, meanwhile, conscious of the fact that direct support for the marshal could be harmful, is directing the axis of his "Libyan policy" towards Agula Saleh.
A dangerous choice, as well as a confirmation of the "double game" that Tripoli accuses Italy of and which Turkey feeds without Rome beating a blow. Unable to hold their position in a historical moment of the Libyan conflict, the Italians preferred to move with the losers making a mistake that will cost dearly in an area of primary interest.
If the Tripolini attacked - as they intend to do - Sirte in the next few days and the Egyptians kept their promises by intervening militarily in Libya, all the unresolved issues of the Italian bankruptcy strategy would come to a head. The defenestration of those who, among the technicians, managed the Libyan dossier in Rome and the resignation of political decision-makers would be sacrosanct; at least for a matter of national dignity.
Photo: Al Marsad News
