Sisi congratulates Abdel Hamid Dbeibeh on assuming post as Libya's new Prime Minister

CAIRO – 10 February 2020: "President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi congratulated Abdel Hamid Dbeibeh on being elected as the new Libyan Prime Minister," Presidential spokesman Bassam Rady said in a Wednesday statement.

This came in a phone call between Sisi and Dbeibeh, in which the president wished the Libyan premier and people all success within the framework of the transitional authority’s efforts to reach development in Libya.

Sisi also stressed Egypt’s willingness to support Libyans to restore stability in their country, while implementing newly founded mechanisms to administrate the country, while Dbeibeh thanked Sisi and asserted his country’s keenness on fostering ties with Egypt in all fields in the upcoming period, nad on boosting coordination and cooperation in various regional issues.

He also hailed Sisi and the Egyptian people for the efforts they exerted to support Libyan people during the current transitional period.

An agreement was reached to continue intensive coordination and consultations between the two sides to promote cooperation among the Libyans in the coming phase. 

On February 6, Libyan delegates at UN-facilitated talks made the surprise choice of Abdul Hamid Mohammed Dbeibah as transitional prime minister, along with a three-member presidency council, to govern the war-ravaged North African country until the December elections. 

Mohammad Younes Menfi became the new president of the presidency council in the unity administration, following the vote held outside Geneva and announced by former UN envoy Stephanie Williams.

Meetings of the Libyan political dialogue ran in Geneva from February 1-5 to decide on a prime minister and a three-member presidency council from a list of 45 candidates, under the auspices of the United Nations.

The UN envoy hailed the meetings, saying they would pave the way for the national election on December 24, 2021.

Egypt welcomed the results of voting for a new Libyan executive power in the UN-led forum in Geneva, expressing its aspiration to work with the new Libyan interim authority over the coming period until transferring the power to an elected government in the elections due to convene on December 24, 2021.

"Egypt called on the Libyans to continue upholding the supreme interest of their country, asking all international and regional parties to support this peaceful path to settle the Libyan crisis, restore stability, put an end to foreign interference in Libya's affairs, and kick all foreign fighters out of Libyan territories," said Spokesperson of the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a statement.

Libya has one of the largest oil reserves in Africa, but the multiple conflicts that ravaged the country prevented the full investment of these resources, while the closure of all oil fields and ports prevented it several times from achieving more than $160 billion.

The routine life of the Libyan citizen has become fraught with difficulties, amid daily electricity, fuel and water cuts, in addition to a liquidity crisis and an unprecedented deterioration in the value of the national currency, amid insecurity.

The most prominent files that pose a significant challenge to the new executive authority are how to control all Libyan lands, fully secure border crossings, and arrange for general elections in the country during the month of December by creating the necessary constitutional basis for that.