Egypt, Libya boycott African Union meeting on Libya

The International Contact Group on Libya (ICGL) convened on Wednesday in Addis Ababa to assess the situation on the ground in Libya

The African Union is holding talks in Ethiopia to resolve the ongoing crisis in Libya
The African Union is holding talks in Ethiopia to resolve the ongoing crisis in Libya

Egypt and Libya have boycotted an international conference on the Libyan crisis organised by the African Union (AU), in protest over the presence of Qatar and Turkey at the meeting.

The International Contact Group on Libya (ICGL) convened on Wednesday in Addis Ababa to assess the situation on the ground in Libya.

African Union Commissioner for Peace and Security Ismail Chergui presided over the meeting along with the Special Envoy of the UN Secretary General to the African Union Haile Menkerios.

According to World Bulletin, Libyan Foreign Minister Mohamed al-Dairi walked out of the conference room within minutes after the start of the opening session, while his Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shoukry failed to attend the session, which was delayed for half an hour.The two diplomat's absence as well as the session's delay signaled the failure of reported attempts by African Union and UN officials to convince Egypt and Libya to attend the conference.

Egypt and Libya had objected to the AU's invitation to Turkey and Qatar to take part in the conference at the pan-African body's headquarters in Addis Ababa, an African diplomat had told The Anadolu Agency.

Representatives from Libya's neighbouring nations, the Community of Sahel-Saharan States and the Arab League, among other participants, were attending.
In his opening remarks, Chergui said despite some encouraging steps as of late, the current situation in Libya is "generally bleak."
"The African Union stands ready to support united efforts [on Libya]," Chergui said, and called on all political actors in Libya to bear their responsibilities and "show statesmanship."